Someone To Watch Over Me
by dfcfanfics
Summary: Adrien is putting on a brave face, but he's struggling... and his friends are noticing. Marinette is determined to help, any way she can. But when Akumas fly and secrets emerge, Ladybug's roles in Adrien's life will change in many ways. A fluffy DFC - buggachat Ladrienette jam. 10/15: At long last, our story is complete. Thank you so much for reading!
1. The Only Place That's Safe

MiraculElse #9: Someone To Watch Over Me

Story by DFC and buggachat

Concept / Inspirational Artwork by buggachat

(Timeline: End of Season 2.)

(AUTHOR'S NOTES ARE AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER.)

* * *

Chapter 1: The Only Place That's Safe

* * *

" _Your poses this afternoon were atrocious. Completely unusable! Tomorrow, it will all be done again... at considerable expense, I might add_."

" _I counted EIGHT misplayed notes in your Grieg this afternoon. Would you care to list them for me now, or must I detail them to you once again?_ "

" _How am I supposed to take you seriously, young man, when you refuse to take your responsibilities seriously?_ "

Some things in life pass by in but a matter of seconds. Words are spoken, emotions are expressed, actions are taken or not taken. But when you are of a certain sensitivity, and when so much of your well-being centers around obtaining approval which seems always a fingertip's length out of your reach... their echoes in your mind can last for hours.

Sometimes, for days.

Sometimes, they seem to stretch on forever.

* * *

"This is IT, Alya. This is THE DAY."

Alya Césaire chuckled to herself, watching her dark-haired best friend psych herself up in the front hallway of Françoise Dupont High School. "It seems to me like I've heard this sometime before..." she replied, trying not to giggle.

"I _know_ , Alya! But this time I _mean it._ " Marinette Dupain-Cheng's face certainly seemed full of determination on this particular afternoon. "I've been rehearsing this all night! I know just what to say. I know just _how_ I want to say it. _Today,_ I'm going to ask Adrien Agreste out on a real date!"

"Not one of those _fake_ dates. Oh, no," teased Alya, affectionately.

"You can be proud of me, Alya!" insisted Marinette. "I've been practicing breathing exercises, so that I won't get tongue-tied and tell him that I'm going home in a coleslaw this time. I've asked out my reflection in the bathroom mirror a hundred times, at least! And, I'll tell you what, Alya... the way I looked, the things I said, _I'd_ date me. I have all my bases covered!"

"Uh-huh. So... where are you going to invite him?" Alya asked her.

"Huh?" Marinette's mental engine abruptly shifted gears without pressing the clutch. "I, um..."

"Are you inviting him to the movies? Perhaps a nice walk in the park? Adrien, would you like to come over and play video games this afternoon, or maybe frost some cookies with me? Will you be my lawful wedded husband, Adrien Agreste?"

Marinette's _Aw, CRAP!_ expression was unmistakable... followed by a fit of giggles. "I really am kind of hopeless, aren't I?" she smiled.

"No, you're not! I keep telling you that! You know I do," soothed Alya, supportively. "But you're overthinking it _again!_ He's not a puzzle to be solved, he's a _boy_. And he's a boy who likes you, Marinette! We both know that he does! He just needs you to tell him - and _show_ him - just how much that _you're_ interested. Save the falling-in-love part for the third or fourth date, though. Start slow and easy!"

"He likes me, sure. But does he _liiiiike_ me?" grumped Marinette.

"I'll say this much, Marinette," added Alya. "The way Adrien's been looking these last couple of weeks... you might be exactly who and what he needs right now."

Marinette turned thoughtful in an instant. "He _hasn't_ been himself, has he?" she mused. "Maybe three, maybe four weeks now... he smiles at us in school, he goes through the motions, he tries to look normal and happy, but his heart's just _not_ in it. Something deep down is bugging him, and I wish I knew how I could help."

 _"You_ notice that kind of thing about him. Not many people do. That's the kind of thing that Adrien really ought to know, don't you think?" Alya asked, pointedly. "How much that you care about him and worry about him, without him ever asking you to?"

"I _hope_ he knows," blushed Marinette. "I know he's fond of me, and he made me _melt_ the way he talked about me and the things that I do at that picnic! But there's a difference between being a really good friend, and being... what I want to be to him."

"Well, now's your chance, girl! Because here he comes now. Are you ready?" asked Alya, nudging her head in his direction.

Marinette swallowed hard. _"Yeah._ It's _now_ or _never,_ Alya," she declared. "I've got him now."

* * *

Adrien and Nino walked down the main hallway of Françoise Dupont High School together, as was typical for them at the end of a school day. They kept their chatter light, and Adrien greatly appreciated the company, which helped take his mind off of... a lot of things.

"Hey, are you going to be around this afternoon? We haven't gotten together in a while," Nino asked him. "Wanna come over and hang for a bit?"

"I'd like to... you _know_ I would... but I have a handful of things I have to do at home today," said Adrien. "More than a handful. More like a day-and-night-ful."

 _"Again?_ Man, your dad has really been piling it on lately, hasn't he?" complained Nino. "He does know that you're only fourteen, right?"

"I don't know what's been going on with my dad lately... but I'd really rather not talk about that right now, okay?" evaded Adrien. "Are you watching the football game tonight? Lille OSC versus Lyon? Should be an exciting one."

"I'm not a Lyon fan like you are, but yeah, I bet it'll be a good one," said Nino. "I'm sure we'll be watching it at my place, if you'd like to... yeah, I know."

"I'm sorry, Nino, I'll be tied up with things right up until gametime! I'll be lucky if I can concentrate on the game instead of homework," apologized Adrien. "But text me; we'll keep up-to-date on what's happening!"

As they approached the front door, they saw Alya wave to them, and Nino greeted her warmly. Next to Alya, Adrien saw Marinette leaning up against the doorway, casually. Marinette looked at him and smiled, turned back to Alya, turned back to him and smiled again, and managed a half-wave, half-gesture that he couldn't quite interpret.

 _Marinette... someday, I'm going to figure her out,_ thought Adrien. _It's always great to see her, even if I do still make her a little nervous for some weird reason._ He smiled warmly, returned her wave, and the way her face lit up gave him a little thrill that, again, he was still trying to come to terms with.

 _What IS it about Marinette that makes me feel so... strange lately? Was it that kiss on the cheek she gave me at the picnic?_

 _Am I thinking too hard about this?_

"Hello, Marinette, Alya!" he greeted them when he got closer. "How was your day?"

"Not bad. A little better _now,_ of course. And yours?" Marinette asked, beaming at him.

 _My girl is SMOOTH today!_ grinned Alya, internally. _Keep it up!_

Adrien noticed Alya's grin widening as Marinette spoke, and wondered why. She turned quickly to Nino, and then her happy expression was far more explainable, as they snuck in a quick kiss.

The foursome exchanged some small talk for a few minutes, until Alya and Nino looked at their watches at the same time, semi-theatrically. "Hey, we ought to get going, if we're going to be on time for that... thing," said Alya. "I'm sure you two can find some things to... talk about?" She slipped Marinette a meaningful wink, and Adrien saw Marinette take a deep breath...

* * *

From down the hall, a loud voice rang out. "HEY! See you later, _BUGSY!"_

Marinette watched Adrien's entire demeanor change in an instant. One moment, he seemed quite happy to be near her, a pleasant conversationalist, maintaining eye contact with her, showing all the signs that she was hoping to see in him... and then it was like what Kim yelled at him, _whatever_ it meant, knocked the wind right out of him.

 _My sunshine boy just turned to dusk, just like that,_ she wondered. _What was THAT all about?_

"I..." Adrien was suddenly at a loss for words.

"Don't let him know that it bothers you, Adrien," muttered Nino, just loud enough for Adrien to hear. "You know him; he'll tease you forever if he thinks he's getting under your skin."

"I know, I know," said Adrien, wearily. He looked down at the street, then added, "Hey, my car's here. I'll see you all tomorrow, I guess?"

"Sure... I guess?" replied Marinette, looking a little confused. She watched as Adrien trudged down to the waiting sedan, hopped in the back seat and closed the door. Peering down at it, she thought for a moment that he was looking back at her from there - _Was that a little wave?,_ she wondered - and then he was gone, lost into the early afternoon traffic.

Alya and Nino left together, Alya giving her a sympathetic face on her way down the steps. Marinette stood still by the doorway, with one thought burning through her mind:

 _BUGSY?_

 _What the heck does THAT mean?_

* * *

Adrien slumped down in the back seat of the car, thoroughly annoyed with life at the moment.

 _Damn it,_ he thought. _I just wanted ten minutes of my day where I could forget about everything else going on with me. One little moment. And I had a couple of minutes to talk with someone sweet like Marinette, to listen to her giggly little laugh that's so cute to hear... and Kim just had to be Kim and razz me about my... feelings again. Like it was any of his business in the first place!_

 _Arrgh! Let just one day go right for me again. That's all I want. Is that too much?_

He tuned back into reality as Nathalie's voice registered in his brain from the passenger seat. "...Piano from three to four, and you'd _better_ nail that Grieg concerto this time; you know that your father will be listening intently. Your Chinese instructor will... Adrien, are you _listening_ to me?" she said, accusingly.

"Yeah... yeah, I am. Three to four. Grieg versus Adrien, best of three falls," he muttered. "Sorry."

Nathalie sighed. "I don't meant to pick on you, Adrien, you know that. But if I don't, _he_ will, and neither of us wants that, right?"

 _"Definitely_ not," Adrien agreed, a little sourly. He forced himself to focus on his upcoming schedule as dictated by Nathalie, which as so often seemed to be the case in recent weeks, sounded nearly endless.

* * *

After dinner, Marinette went upstairs and pulled out her phone. _Time to play Junior Detective,_ she thought. _Something odd is going on, and I am going to find out what it is!_

"Hey, Marinette!" Alya greeted her. "I felt so _bad_ for you this afternoon! You were all ready to rock Adrien's world and then... whatever that was, happened."

"I know, right? That was _so weird,_ " Marinette nearly shouted. "Do you have any idea what that was all about? I mean, he and Kim are friends, aren't they?"

"As far as I know," replied Alya, sounding equally confused. "They've always gotten along when I've seen them together. In fact, is there anyone out there who _doesn't_ like Adrien? He's so nice, he's really easy for people to like and be around."

"Yeah. It's been bugging me ever since... and not just because it shot my plan right into the river," mused Marinette. "Nino seemed to know something about it, didn't he?"

"You know, he did," said Alya. "He said something to Adrien about teasing. But what does Adrien have to be teased about?"

"Hmmm. Do you mind if I call him and ask him what he knows, Alya?" asked Marinette.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng," Alya scoffed, in a faux-stern voice. "Are you trying to _STEAL MY MAN?_ "

"Do you really think that I _could?"_ giggled Marinette.

"Obviously, no! But your plots and plans to win the hearts of young men are legendary." Alya laughed loudly along with Marinette, then added, "Of course you can call him! He's your friend, too. I think he's watching a football game tonight around seven, so you've got a little while before kickoff to catch him."

"Awesome! I'll call you back later and let you know what I hear," Marinette said.

* * *

"Marinette? Hey, hi there! I, uh, didn't expect a call from you tonight!" answered Nino. "What can I do for you?"

"Hi! I hope I'm not bothering you, or anything, and I'll be quick. I just have a question for you..." replied Marinette.

"Shoot."

"That thing that Kim yelled at Adrien today. 'Bugsy.' As soon as Adrien heard it, it was like someone hit him with a tranquilizer dart. Do _you_ know anything about what that meant?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line. Finally, Nino said, "I'm... not sure that I should tell you that, Marinette. He might think it's a little embarrassing, and there's another thing about it that, uh..."

"Oh, come on, Nino! It can't be that bad, can it?" asked Marinette. _Okay, turn on the charm!_ she thought. "I mean, we're all friends, right? And you've always been a good friend to me, and I know you're Adrien's _best_ friend, and we both want the best for him... He's seemed so _down_ lately. I'm trying to figure out what I can do to cheer him up."

"Yeah... he has," agreed Nino. "You picked that up, too?"

"I did. And if I can help make him feel a little better, I'd like to, for... a lot of reasons," said Marinette, trying not to turn shy about it. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Oh... listen, I'll tell you. It's not _that_ bad. And you'll _like_ some of this! Some... maybe not so much," Nino relented. "Here's the story..."

"I'm all ears," Marinette replied.

* * *

"Okay, so... it all started in gym class yesterday, right?" began Nino. "You know how they change up what we practice there every couple of weeks. Right now the boys are doing track-and-field stuff, running events, all different lengths. So we were all doing our best, and Kim was _sure_ he could beat Adrien in a race, for some reason. I don't know why he challenged Adrien in particular, but they lined up and did a sprint, and Adrien blew by him. It wasn't even close! So Kim said, 'Okay, but I can beat you at distance running!', and they did a mile... and Adrien won again."

"Should that have surprised anyone?" asked Marinette.

"I don't think so, but you know Kim... he's really competitive and he _hates_ to lose at sports. Now, Adrien was cool about it, right? He told Kim that he has a runner's physique, so he's naturally good at that kind of thing, but Kim would beat him every time at strength and power events. And that's true, too. But maybe Kim thought Adrien was calling him big and fat or something, or he just didn't like losing in front of people. I don't know, it shouldn't have been a big deal, but Kim kind of made it one."

"Okay, so... there's more to it, I hope?" said Marinette. "That doesn't sound too bad."

"Yeah, and this is the interesting part. We hit the showers, and the guys all started talking about what we guys usually end up talking about... girls," continued Nino.

"Naturally," giggled Marinette.

"Do... the girls talk about the guys in their locker room?" wondered Nino, nonchalantly.

"That's a carefully guarded girl secret, Nino," she admonished him. "C'mon, I'm dying to know this!"

"Okay, so..." Nino continued. "Someone pointed out that just about every guy in our class is paired off now. Kim has Ondine, Ivan has Mylène, I've got Alya, Nathaniel has been hanging out with Marc a lot, and that's cool. Max... well, Max kind of has his own thing going on, but that's cool, too, right? He's happy and that's what matters. Anyway... I think it was Ivan who asked Adrien, 'Hey, so, who is it that YOU like? Anyone in our school?' And Adrien didn't want to say. And that meant we had to gang up on him and find out who his big secret crush is."

"You _had_ to?" asked Marinette, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. We're teenage boys. It's in our DNA. We do that," Nino laughed. "So close your eyes and imagine us rattling off names, and I'll tell you what I saw..."

Marinette closed her eyes and let Nino paint the picture.

* * *

 _Kim started it off. "You like Chloè, right? You're one of the only people who can put up with her," he guessed, sure that he was right._

 _"Dating Chloè? Oh, HELL no. I've known her for so long that I know FAR better than that," retorted Adrien, with a look of undisguised horror on his face. A giant laugh filled the room._

 _"How about Sabrina, then? I know she's available," suggested Max._

 _Adrien didn't look quite as terrified by the concept, but he replied, "Ehhh. Sabrina can be nice when she wants to be... but she doesn't usually want to be. She's so tucked into Chloè's pocket that I feel kind of bad for her, but... nah. She's really not my type."_

 _"How about Marinette?" I asked him. "She's really nice, right?"_

 _And all the eyes in the room went straight to Adrien, y'know? And he got this really... unusual look on his face. Unusual for him, I mean. Kind of dreamy! It was like, he thought about you and he was somewhere better, in his head. And we waited for him to say something, and after a few seconds, he just said, "Marinette is... someone special."_

* * *

"...Special?" Marinette breathed, trying not to overreact. "Like, _good_ special?"

"Like _very_ _good_ special, it sounded like! I thought we had a winner right there, y'know? But the others kept going," replied Nino.

* * *

 _Ivan asked, "What about that fencer girl we saw you with... Kagami, right?"_

 _Adrien got kind of a different look on his face. Thoughtful. He said, "I haven't quite figured her out yet. She's not like any other girl I've met. I'd say she kind of... intrigues me."_

 _Kim grinned. "Keeping your options open! Smart."_

 _And then Max said, "Well, the only other girl we've seen you hanging around with is Ladybug."_

* * *

"He went there?" muttered Marinette.

"He meant it as a joke, I think!" said Nino. "But then..."

* * *

 _All of a sudden, Adrien just went CRIMSON! Completely red in the face. He went completely defensive, like he was looking for a locker to climb into. I've never seen him nervous like that, Marinette!_

 _So Kim saw a weak spot, and he had to pounce on it, right? He said, "Hey, I can't blame you there, man. Ladybug is, like, really hot! But you're aiming kind of high, aren't ya?"_

 _Everybody looked at Adrien. He stammered, "I don't know that I'm AIMING for her... or that she'd ever... Come on, guys, knock it OFF!"_

* * *

"If there's one thing Adrien usually is... it's a smooth talker. Nothing winds him up like that," Nino added. "But for whatever reason, this did."

Marinette was momentarily speechless.

"Kim wasn't trying to be _mean_ to him, I don't think. He's not like that. But like how he picked on Ivan for a while? He'll tease people sometimes, if he thinks he's getting to them. That's all he meant by it," explained Nino. "So, anyway... it got even wilder."

"Go on..." Marinette breathed.

* * *

 _Kim laughed out loud. "It's not like you'd have a chance with Ladybug, anyway, right? She's Chat Noir's girl."_

 _And Adrien went from nervous and shaky to fierce and angry just like THAT! It was like Kim flipped a light switch on him. Adrien got right up in his face, dead serious, nose-to-nose with him. And Kim's no little guy, so this was a big surprise to all of us! Kim kind of backed off, then he leaned in face-to-face again because everyone was watching them and he didn't want to look scared._

 _"NO, she's NOT," Adrien yelled._

 _"You wish," smirked Kim, and then Adrien got even angrier._

 _"I'm telling you, she's NOT," he growled. "If there's one thing that I do know, it's THAT."_

 _Ivan looked puzzled. "HOW do you know that for sure, Adrien?"_

 _And just like that, Adrien went back to defensive mode. "I just... do," he said, like, quieter._

 _Kim thought of something and his face lit up. "Well, since you're such a GREAT ATHLETE, Adrien... I know just how you can win her love! You can get a red costume and jump around and be her new sidekick! 'Bugsy, the Boy Beetle!'"_

 _Kim struck a pose and started jumping from bench to bench, imitating that. Okay, that even made me laugh. Everybody laughed... except for Adrien. He looked like he was about to cry, and I didn't like seeing that at all._

* * *

"And about that time... the bell rang, and it was time for us to get out of there," finished Nino. "Kim razzed him a little more, we got dressed and we all left. But _something_ about that whole thing really got under Adrien's skin, I could tell."

"Okay..." Marinette continued processing all of this, on mental autopilot. "I know that it's not _just_ that incident bothering him, right? Adrien hasn't seemed like himself for weeks now. Maybe a month or so. He's seemed more and more depressed and I keep wanting to just lean over my desk and hug him."

"He has... you're right. Things have been building up around him. This might've just been the straw that broke the camel's back that day," Nino replied. "But Kim just had to go and bring it up _again_ today..."

"Uh-huh," Marinette stammered, unsure of what to add.

"Hey, uh... Marinette?" Nino added, sounding apologetic. "I didn't want to upset you by telling you this, okay? I... know you have a real _thing_ for Adrien. I think everybody knows... except for Adrien. And I know he _really does_ like you, and that's a good thing! He talks about you all the time when he's hanging out with me. As rarely as that's been, lately... but I promise you, he _does."_ He took a deep breath before finishing his thought.

"But as far as where his heart is _really_ aimed... I think Adrien's got a huge crush on Ladybug. That's going to be really hard for you to compete with."

There was a pause of several seconds.

"Marinette?" asked Nino, worriedly.

* * *

From flat on her back, in the middle of her bedroom floor, Marinette managed, "I'm here!"

 _Adrien might have a crush on Ladybug? Adrien might have a crush on Ladybug. ADRIEN might have a crush on LADYBUG! BUT I'M LADYBUG! I'M LADYBUG? YES, I'M LADYBUG!_

"I'm here, Nino, I, um... slipped," she covered for her lapse. "Well, there's not a whole lot that I can do about Ladybug, right? I mean, it's not like I can talk to her about it or anything, or that I'd really want to, I guess..."

"Well, that's all I know, I'm afraid," Nino answered, unfazed. "Anything else I can help you with tonight?"

"No, that's it. Thank you so much, Nino," Marinette replied. "I'm not going to bring it up with him, I wouldn't want to embarrass him. But that was, you know, so out of nowhere today when I didn't know what it meant, you understand?"

"Sure, I'd have wondered too," he agreed.

"I'll see you tomorrow, okay? And I think your football game's just coming on now..." hinted Marinette.

"Oh, yeah! Thanks! See you then!" Nino replied, and hung up.

* * *

"Tikki? Can you come over here with me, please?" asked Marinette, very quietly. "I need you."

Tikki floated over with an unsettled feeling in her tiny stomach. _This could get very messy, very fast!_ she thought to herself.

"I'm here, Marinette," she said, perching on Marinette's shoulder gently. "What's going on?"

"Did you hear that conversation I just had with Nino?" Marinette asked. "Where he said he thinks Adrien has a crush on LADYBUG?"

"Yes, I overheard it," Tikki confirmed. "And... Adrien also had really good things to say about _Marinette,_ didn't he? All dreamy, thinking of you? Floating in a little world of pink clouds?"

"Yeah..." Tikki watched that register in Marinette's mind for a brief moment, then float out into the air again. "But Nino was so right, Tikki! Adrien is _never_ worked up like that, and definitely not because of _me_! He was nervous, he was embarrassed, he was defensive, he got his fierce up, he didn't know what to say or how to say it... because of LADYBUG?" Marinette said, seemingly finding it hard to believe.

"It does kind of remind you of someone, doesn't it?" remarked Tikki, dryly.

"Does it?"

"Anyway..." Tikki grinned. _She'll never change._

"So _what should I do,_ Tikki?" begged Marinette. "I mean, if he _might_ have a crush on me - on Ladybug - on me as Ladybug - then I have to _find out_ if it's _true,_ don't I?"

"I wouldn't put a lot of pressure on him right now, Marinette. He's been feeling awfully fragile lately; both of you agreed on that," said Tikki, trying to steer Marinette in a slightly different direction.

"That's true," Marinette replied, coming back down to Earth slightly. "I want to build him up, not make him feel like he's being pushed even more."

"I would suggest this," Tikki noted. "As you _and_ as Ladybug... keep an eye on him for a while, okay? Be as good a friend to him as you can. Make sure he knows someone's out there who cares about him, who's thinking about him. Someone he can always reach out to if he wants to get things off his chest. I think he'd really like that."

"Yeah! That makes a lot of sense," smiled Marinette. "And if he does start reaching out..."

"It's a great way for the two of you to get to know each other much better, on a much deeper level. I think you'd like feeling closer to Adrien, in costume or out, wouldn't you?" Tikki asked her.

"Absolutely," she agreed. "I think I may just have to approach him like that tomorrow..."

"Go slow, Marinette," Tikki advised. "Tread lightly. Let him decide how much he wants to talk about what's bothering him. You don't want him to feel pressured."

"I just want him to be happy again, Tikki!" Marinette sighed, flopping back down on the floor. "The way he's always been. The kind, sweet, happy boy I fell for. Whether I'm just his friend, or... whatever."

"And I want that for both of you, Marinette. You know that, right?" smiled Tikki. "You both deserve so much to be happy."

"Thank you, Tikki. You're always right there with good advice," grinned Marinette, leaning over to peck her on the cheek affectionately.

* * *

The next afternoon, Marinette stood at the school's front doorway once again, this time by herself. Alya and Nino passed by, having just shared a last class of the day together, and they exchanged a few quick words with her before heading out.

"Thanks so much for that talk last night, Nino," Marinette greeted him, warmly. "That really helped clear my mind on a few things."

"It did?" asked Nino. "I mean, cool, I'm glad that it did!"

"Are you going to try to ask him out again today, Marinette?" wondered Alya. "I can stay around as moral support if you're going to, and if you'd need that..."

"No, not today," Marinette replied. "I'm going a little different route today. A lighter touch."

"I hope it works!" bubbled Alya, and Nino gave her a thumbs-up as the two of them headed for Alya's house.

 _Be cool, Marinette,_ she thought to herself, waiting patiently for Adrien to show. _This isn't about crushing right now. This is about being there for him. Maybe I am 'just a friend' right now, but I'm going to be a damn good one to him until that status changes._

She waited for a couple more minutes, then looked down at the street and noticed that Adrien's bodyguard's car hadn't pulled up yet. _That's strange,_ she thought. _He's usually very punctual..._

When Ivan and Mylène walked by, shortly thereafter, Marinette greeted them and asked, "Hey, um... have either of you seen Adrien this afternoon? He usually comes this way."

Mylène shook her head no, but Ivan perked up. "Yeah, he, uh, said he texted his driver and said he was going to walk home today. Some working-things-out time, y'know?"

Marinette looked stunned. _That's really not LIKE him. And it's also not like his father to LET him do that!_

"Th-hanks!" she managed. "That would explain it."

As the happy pair left, Marinette considered her options. _I have the strangest feeling that I ought to check on him,_ _right now,_ she thought. _From a distance, maybe, so he doesn't think I'm stalking him... but I really want to see what's going on with him today, if I can._

* * *

A young man stomped his way down a well-worn sidewalk, visibly upset, though no one was near him at the time to observe it. No one, that is, except a tiny floating black cat.

"Adrien," Plagg pestered him. "ADRIEN. Talk to me, okay?"

"Plagg, leave me alone, okay? I'm thinking about some things," replied Adrien.

 _Yeah, I'm thinking about things,_ he thought to himself. _Thinking about the crappy day I just had! How Dad blew me off at breakfast time today - again. He SAID he'd be there to eat with me before I left for school, but I know just how that always turns out, right? Then there was that snarky text he sent me an hour ago about the next photo shoot, "DO remember to comb your hair this time." He knows how seriously I take these things! And what happened at that last shoot was NOT_ _my fault!_

 _Then Nathalie gave me a hard time about walking home alone. I mean, I'm fourteen, I'm not a baby any more! No one's going to jump me and steal my wallet, and that's not even figuring in my 'secret weapon' floating next to me right now! And then I was almost out the door of the school, away from everybody, and what do I hear yelled at me?_

 _"Buzz! Buzz! There goes the Bug Wonder!"_

 _ARRRGH. That Kim is lucky that I don't show him what I've learned in karate class, sometimes. He just does NOT know when to quit! And I've got about ten lines in my head that I _should have_ yelled back at him, but I just turned and left and looked like a dope._

 _But why should I be mad at Kim, anyway? Maybe I _am_ just Ladybug's sidekick, after all. I sure don't seem to be making any headway with her, relationship-wise._

"Adrien, this isn't like you. You're not the sulking type... I know things have been tough lately, and Kim is a dork, but you gotta calm down! How about... there's a little cheese shop I know not too far from here..." worried Plagg.

"I'm FINE," snarled Adrien, his reddened face and tone of voice indicating how much of a lie that really was.

Plagg noticed that, of course, but gauged Adrien's tone and pulled back a little. _If he wants to talk... I'm right here,_ he thought. _But I can't make him do it._

Something tiny and purple, floating not very far away from the two of them, also noticed.

* * *

Ladybug swung out over the city, heading in the general direction of Adrien's house. _I'm so much faster than Adrien would be on foot,_ she reasoned. _He had a little head start, but if there's anyone that I could pick out of a crowd..._

 _...There he is! I'd know that blonde head anywhere. I ought to, I spend hours at a time right behind him, memorizing every hair on it_ , she giggled.

 _So now what do I do?_ Ladybug pondered.

She began hopping from rooftop to rooftop, staying well behind him, considering what to do next. _I'll be as quiet as I can for now,_ Ladybug thought; _I don't want to startle him._

 _Should I go down and talk to him? He might like that... But if he's walking home like this, it's because he wanted to be alone. And as much as I'd like to think that li'l red-and-black me is on his mind, I know better than to believe that that's all that's been driving him crazy lately._

 _I know that he's hinted that his father's been really hard on him recently,_ she recalled. _His father is always hard on him, but it sounded like this was harsh even for Mr. Agreste. Nagging at him about every little thing... I'm so glad that MY parents aren't like that._

 _It really must be hard, being kind of famous like he is,_ Ladybug mused, a little bit wistfully. _To have half the city know you on sight, to have people throwing themselves at you, crazy fans like that Wayhem guy, all those expectations, having to act so... perfectly in public all the time. I bet that's why he wanted to come to public school - so he'd have some kind of outlet where he could express himself, for once, and not feel so penned in by how everybody expects him to be!_

She hopped across two more rooftops, getting just a little bit closer. _And then there are people who think that he's stuck-up and horrible just because his family's rich. Even I kind of did that when we first met... that whole gum thing... I was so ready to write him off as Boy Chloè. I'd have missed out on so much if I had!_

 _Wow,_ Ladybug thought. _The more I think about it,_ _I bet... if I was in his shoes... I'd probably feel more lonely than anything else. He sees us at school, but his father locks him down pretty well most of the rest of the time. His dad doesn't really like Nino much, from what Nino told me, so they can only hang out once in a while when Adrien can get away from home. He spent all those years being homeschooled, with Chloè being one of the only people his own age he knew... and THAT could give anyone a complex._

 _I die a little inside every time I hear him call me "just a friend"... but maybe a really good friend is what he NEEDS the most._

She laughed to herself, quietly. _Something about trying to figure this boy out turns me into a junior psychiatrist_ , _doesn't it? Now I just need to figure out my own... issues..._

Ladybug looked down at Adrien and squinted, trying to make out something odd she'd spotted near him. _Was that a tiny... black thing buzzing around him just then?_ she wondered. _Maybe a dragonfly, or something like that? It was big for an insect, whatever it was._

 _Wait a second..._

She looked again, and coming in from a slightly different trajectory, she saw a different insect that made her blood run cold.

* * *

 _"Hey, Kim! YOU'RE the one who was dumb enough to try to date Chloè!"_ thought Adrien.

 _Nah. That's too mean, to both of them. Kim didn't know better at the time, and Chloè's... well, she's getting better. Very, very slowly, but it still counts for something._

Adrien kept walking, pondering zingers in his head to respond to Kim's next razzing attempt, frustration and anger and melancholy all simmering inside him...

A sudden scream caught his full attention:

"ADRIEN!"

 _That voice!_ he thought. _Was that... Marinette?_

He turned, quickly, as Plagg dove for cover into his shirt pocket...

...and froze, in pure shock, as tiny purple wings dove straight for his face!

Adrien tried to scream, but no sound came out of his mouth.

 _No time to react -_

 _NO!_

* * *

Adrien barely had time to blink.

His eyes, wide open, saw an Akuma about to consume him, ready to turn him into one of Hawkmoth's creatures.

They closed, involuntarily, from raw fear.

He forced them open again... and a red-and-black capsule chose that instant to slam shut around the Akuma, yanking it away from his face.

"GAAAAAH!" the scream finally emerged, as Adrien fell backwards, landing on his rear on the ground.

 _That... THAT... was too... too..._

Thinking would have to wait until his heart stopped pounding like a kettledrum.

He looked up and saw Ladybug a few meters away, releasing a white butterfly into the afternoon sky. "Bye-bye, little butterfly," she waved goodbye to it, as always...

Another blink, and another, and then _she_ was leaning over him. His dark-haired goddess, with her perfect blue eyes that he could easily drown in, and a look of pure concern on her face.

"Are you okay, Adrien?" she asked him, catching her own breath. "That was too close."

She reached out to him with her right hand, offering to help him up... but he felt paralyzed, totally overwhelmed by emotion and adrenaline. His arm moved to meet hers, but that small movement was all that he could manage.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, her voice as light as a morning breeze.

"I - I ..." Adrien stammered. He tried to form actual words that could be arranged into sentences, but the BA-WHUMP BA-WHUMP BA-WHUMP of his pounding heart had full priority just then.

 _I do and I don't and I HAVE TO and I CAN'T._

* * *

Hesitantly, he put a tiny bit more strength into the hand that Ladybug was holding. She took that as a sign that she should help him up, so she pulled gently, and he rose to his feet very slowly.

"Th-thank you, Ladybug," Adrien half-whispered. "I..."

"Come here," she beckoned, opening her arms. "Shhh. Just come here for a minute."

There was no way that he could resist it, even if he'd wanted to. Adrien sank into Ladybug's arms, feeling like a child, his head resting gently on her shoulder. She wrapped her arms around him to comfort him, all thoughts of crushes and romance and hamsters flying straight out of her mind.

 _This isn't about any of that right now,_ she knew. _This is just... needed._

"I... I'm not sure how that happened," Adrien said, in a tiny voice.

"I think I know," replied Ladybug. "You thought for just one minute that you felt all alone, that you had nobody that you could lean on or talk to. But I think I just proved that you're wrong about that."

As they broke the hug, Ladybug kept her hands on his shoulders. "You have lots of people who _do_ care about you, Adrien. You know that, right? And you know that I'm one of them. I always will be, I promise."

Thoughts of _TELL HER!_ and _APOLOGIZE TO HER!_ and _KISS HER!_ and _THANK HER!_ and _MARRY HER!_ all fought for control of Adrien's brain, and in the chaos something else slipped through. "Can I... meet you sometime?"

"Meet me?" Ladybug wondered aloud. "I think I know you pretty well already, don't I?", she giggled.

"I m-mean, meet _with_ you sometime. To talk about it. Not like a date. Unless - no. I just want to... so I can talk to you. Thank you properly. For everything."

"Adrien," she smiled, "I'm just happy I was nearby, and close enough to help. _Of course_ we can meet and talk sometime. Let me... um... figure out how you can reach me..."

Ladybug stumbled slightly, trying to figure out how not to give her identity away in the process. "Or, how about this - I'll find _you_ in the next day or two and we'll work something out, okay? I'll see if I can set something up so that whenever you need me, you can contact me."

"I would really like that, Ladybug... more than you can imagine," Adrien replied, still somewhat in shock.

"On one condition, mister," Ladybug told him, giving him a serious look.

"Anything! What is it?" asked Adrien.

"The next time you feel that down, or that angry, or whatever put you in that mood that put the Akuma on your trail, will you remember something for me?" asked Ladybug, in a gentle tone of voice. "That _someone's_ watching over you."

"I'll don't think I'll ever forget that again."

He smiled at her, warmly and honestly and as pure as a songbird's call, and for an instant she was back on the school steps, staring at an extended umbrella and That Smile. A little part inside of Marinette joined all of her other little parts already labeled YOURS FOREVER.

"Be careful going home, okay?" asked Ladybug, and Adrien nodded.

With one last little wave, Ladybug swung away.

And two young people and two ancient Kwamis all knew that this was going to be a very long and sleepless night ahead for them.

* * *

Next time:

* A little light conversation... and a little more.

* "So... it didn't work?"

* "I do NOT normally do this..."

* Plagg's two cents.

* And more...

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

So... I hadn't planned on starting a new multi-part story until I'd completely finished Let's Take It From The Top. I smacked facefirst into a couple of tiring months that delayed that, I wanted to catch up on the remaining Season 2 episodes and those weren't available until December (and I STILL need to do that, though I've gotten details that I needed!), and things in general were pretty exhausting.

I started up a Tumblr a while back and hadn't used it all that much - mostly just posting teasers for chapters when I remembered to do that. (Same name, dfcfanfics, for those who haven't looked at it.) In recent months, I paid more attention to it from a reader's perspective and came across a lot of nifty artwork and show commentary, so it became more of a habit.

A few days ago, I took another look... and there was a Ladrien scene drawn out as a comic being shared all over the place, and it was _absofreakinglutely adorable._ "The Ladrien I always wanted so I decided to draw it," said buggachat, and there were dozens of replies raving about it and hoping/predicting that it would inspire lots of fanfics. buggachat added some additional context, and added, "I'd love to see content based around the concept... I'd write it myself but I'm not much of a writer."

Well... given how promising the scene and context were, and how many associated ideas it put in my head, I'd argue about that. ;) But, as it happens... I like to think that I'M much of a writer, and I had another Ladrien idea already waiting to be written that this scene could slide right into. So I took a crack at it, ran this first chapter by her for her approval, and here we are.

(I would link the artwork / Tumblr post here, but FFN is allergic to external links. You can check either dfcfanfics or buggachat on Tumblr to find it.)

I'm still working out the plotting for this, so updates may be irregular / as they are completed, and I'm not sure how many chapters it will run in total yet. But this one was just _so_ fluffy that I couldn't let it sit idly until then.

Enjoy!

\- DFC


	2. Finding A Little Peace

Someone To Watch Over Me, Chapter 2: Finding A Little Peace

* * *

 ***BA-THUMP!* *BA-THUMP!* *BA-THUMP!* *BA-THUMP!***

*Ba-Thump!* *Ba-Thump!* *Ba-Thump!*

*ba-thump* *ba-thump*

"You know, once in a very long while... I _do_ give some good advice."

Plagg looked at Adrien's annoyed face and added, "What? I waited 'til your pulse rate went _mostly_ back to normal to say 'I told you so.'"

* * *

Ladybug landed on her balcony, as quietly as she could. She transformed back to Marinette, then plopped down on a lounge chair, visibly shaken. Tikki landed on the left arm of the chair, knowing that she'd be needed.

"That was... _intense,"_ panted Marinette, after a moment. She covered her face with her hands and breathed deeply, but waved Tikki off when she felt her fly even closer to check on her. "I'm okay, Tikki... I'm holding it together for now," she managed, with only the slightest quiver in her voice.

"You did everything _perfectly,_ Marinette," replied Tikki. "You recognized that Adrien was troubled, you checked on him, you saved him from the Akuma, you cooled him down and you got a smile before you left. You were the answer to his prayers today."

"Today, sure. But what if I'm not there _next time?"_ sniffled Marinette. "Tikki, he's so much more shaken up than I'd imagined!"

"Well, he _did_ go nose-to-nose with an Akuma just now. That'd be enough to make anyone freak out," Tikki argued. "Anyone can have one really bad day."

"Tikki, I've memorized a lot more than Adrien's class schedule," she retorted. "I may become a babbling idiot when I'm around him sometimes, but you know that I pay attention. He's had a _ton_ of really bad days lately. This wasn't a one-time thing; this had been building up for a while! And I'm _terrified_ that he'll get targeted again."

"Oh, I agree; I'm very concerned, too," said Tikki. _For more reasons than you know,_ she thought to herself. "But there was one good sign; he asked if he could meet you and talk about it with you. That's a lot of trust that he has in you, Marinette."

"In _Ladybug,_ you mean," Marinette corrected her. "It took that sudden shock today to get him to open up at all, even to Ladybug! If he'd come out the school's front door where I was waiting for him just now, I don't know if he'd have given me the same amount of trust, or anything near it."

"Why not give him another chance to?" Tikki asked. "You were going to reach out to him today as Marinette and check on him. I'd say it's even more important that you try that again soon."

"I think I _need_ to."

As Marinette stood up and headed for her balcony hatch, Tikki cleared her throat. "Forgetting something?" she asked.

"What?" asked Marinette, confused.

"You haven't come home from school yet. Won't your parents wonder how you got into your room if you didn't go in the house through the front door?" grinned Tikki.

 _"Oh!_ Good point, Tikki. I'm just a _little_ distracted right now. I wonder why?" smiled Marinette, sheepishly. "Plus, I have a quick errand to run. I do have an idea or two about how to contact him as Ladybug, and another idea that might help keep him smiling more often... Spots on!"

* * *

As Adrien passed through the outer gates of his family mansion, he muttered for Plagg's benefit, "Here we go..."

"Hang in there. I wanna talk with you when we're alone, okay?" whispered Plagg.

"Fine," Adrien whispered back. "Yes, you _were_ right back there."

"Of _course_ I was! But I still wanna talk with you," Plagg grinned, then ducked out of sight.

Adrien walked through the front door, expecting Nathalie to be standing there impatiently waiting for him, and he was not disappointed. "Well! You finally made it," she said, looking at her watch and appearing annoyed. "Did you take the scenic route through Spain?"

"I... took the long way, yes. Is that a problem?" sulked Adrien. _You have NO idea what I've been through today,_ he thought, _give me a break for once!_ "I needed a little time to think through some things."

"Time, young man, is something you do not _have_ to spare. Your father is waiting in your room right now to hear your Grieg concerto, and since you're seven minutes late, I'm sure that he's fuming."

"Uh-huh. Great." He slapped his messenger bag down on a table, a bit too hard, and began marching upstairs to his room.

"Excuse me?" snapped Nathalie. "I'd also _strongly_ suggest that you lose the attitude."

Adrien stopped, turned to face her... then sighed, exhausted. "Yes. I'm... I'm sorry, Nathalie. You didn't deserve that."

"Okay. Go impress your father, then," she replied. "Good luck."

* * *

Sabine brightened up when she saw Marinette walk into the bakery, giving her a wave. "Hi, honey! How was school today?" she called.

"Pretty good, Mom," answered Marinette. "Nothing too unusual. How was your day?"

"Decent business, about average," Sabine said. She noticed two bags in Marinette's hands and asked, "Stopped at the store on your way home?"

"Oh, this? Yeah, it's nothing much," she replied, holding them up. "Some little supplies for a project at school."

"Okay, good. Supper will be ready in about an hour, okay?" her mother smiled.

"Sure, I'll be down then!" called Marinette, as she dashed up the stairs to her room.

* * *

Gabriel put his hand to his face and let out a loud sigh. _"Stop._ Stop right there, Adrien," he insisted. "Start the whole thing over. That attempt was amateurish; you are not even _trying_ today."

"I'm... sorry, Father," Adrien replied, downcast. "I had a _really_ bad day today and I guess I'm feeling distracted."

"...Did I ask?" said Gabriel, pointedly.

"What?"

"...Did I _ask_ you _why_ you were mangling this fine piece of classical music? I did not. I asked you to start it over." Gabriel's glare was intense. "Continue."

Adrien turned beet red, and considered for a moment slamming the piano cover shut and storming off... but, instead, turned back to the sheet music and began playing once more, using the tiny bit of willpower that he had remaining.

* * *

"Okay, Tikki," Marinette began, laying out what she'd bought that afternoon. "I'm hoping that I can count on your help with some of this. I know that I'm not supposed to use my powers for personal reasons..."

"This isn't really... that," allowed Tikki. _And somehow I think that "helping Chat Noir stay sane, even if you don't know that that's who you're actually helping" qualifies as a just cause_ , she thought. "I'll help you however I can."

"Remind me of something," asked Marinette, thoughtfully. "You can pass through solid objects when you want to, like zipping through the floor if someone walks in on us. You can carry small objects, too, up to about as big as the Book of Lore. Can you do both at the same time?"

"...Not easily?" Tikki said, hesitantly. "It depends on the object. The bigger it is, the tougher it would be. Like, I'm pretty sure that I couldn't carry that big book through a solid wall."

"Something tiny and light like one of these, though?" ventured Marinette, gesturing to some sheets of paper sitting on her bed and what was on them. "Through, say, cloth or a glass window?"

"Oh, THAT, no problem," smiled Tikki. "For a second there, I thought you were going to ask if I could carry _you_ into his room."

"HEY!" Marinette yelped, and Tikki giggled at the massive blush she'd just caused. "TOTALLY not what I had in mind."

"I didn't think so... though just _once,_ it might be worth it to see the look on his face," laughed Tikki.

"Here's the thing, though. You're not _completely_ wrong with that train of thought..." Marinette whispered some things in Tikki's tiny ear, and Tikki's eyes went wide.

She thought it over for a few seconds, then broke out in a grin. "Marinette, that's downright devilish! And I _like_ it," Tikki replied.

"Not right away! I want to start a little lighter, first. But you could do that for me when I ask you to?" asked Marinette.

"If we're careful about it."

"Marinette! Supper's ready!" came a call from downstairs.

"Coming!" replied Marinette. She winked at Tikki and headed for the door.

* * *

Once Adrien was alone, a little while later, Plagg flew over to him with a bit of hesitancy. Adrien was flat on his stomach on his bed, gripping a pillow tightly under his chin and neck, staring intently at nothing in particular.

"Okay, that... that wasn't just harsh of him. That was _nasty_ ," began Plagg.

 _"Beyond_ nasty," muttered Adrien. "And I just wish that I could _understand_ it."

He rolled over and looked at Plagg, with an anguished expression on his face. "He hasn't been himself ever since Mom... disappeared. We've both been dealing with that for a long time now, and it'll never be _okay_ , but I've at least adjusted to what our new 'normal' is. But this isn't like that, Plagg! It's like he's decided that I can't do anything right, everything I do is wrong, and I'm doing it all on purpose! And that shouldn't make any sense to him. What would I have to _gain_ from doing that?"

"'Oh, yeah, Dad, yell at me some more! I love when you do that,'" mocked Plagg, sympathetically.

"Exactly! And he won't talk to me. Nathalie just stands there with her little checklists and does what he tells her and she's no help, either," moaned Adrien. "And I have no idea how to fix it, or who to talk to about it."

"You might have... one idea of who to talk to, other than me," Plagg ventured. "And that's what I wanted to talk to you about. If Ladybug hadn't been there today..."

"I know, I know. Wow, that was lucky!" Adrien flopped down on his back, looking overwhelmed. "I don't know if I could've fought an Akuma off while I was worked up like that."

"Almost nobody can, even when they're thinking straight," said Plagg. "And you certainly weren't. And if _you_ get Akumatized, you might as well just drop your Miraculous in an envelope and mail it to Hawkmoth."

As Adrien closed his eyes in frustration, Plagg framed his words carefully. "You have emotions just like everybody else, Adrien. And you should! And you should let 'em out when you need to! Locking it all away inside you just lets it eat away at you over time, and then one day, KA-POW!", he said, mimicking an explosion. "Having me means you have to be that much more careful, though."

"You really think that I _should_ talk to Ladybug about these things?" asked Adrien, still a little unsure.

"YES! And I can think of a couple of other people, too," insisted Plagg, almost too loudly. "But Ladybug would be someone great to start with. She's asked to hear it, so it's not like you're throwing it on her, and she cares about you."

"She does, and I'm so _glad_ she does," mused Adrien, with a hint of a blush. "But I don't want her to think that I'm..."

"Human?" Plagg quipped.

"A basket case," corrected Adrien. "Someone too weak and anxious for her to ever take seriously."

"Oh, boy. So _that's_ what you're worried about? Listen, Adrien," replied Plagg, nervously. "I'm... okay, I'm not all that good at human emotion; you know that. I've watched you chasing Ladybug, and watched you being chased by..." he trailed off.

"...Chased by _who_?" asked Adrien, looking startled.

"Forget I said that," mumbled Plagg.

"No, chased by WHO? Someone's interested in me?" repeated Adrien. "Who is it?"

"Look, that's beside the point right now! I've watched humans sit and moan about who they love for centuries, and it's mostly kinda funny to me," evaded Plagg. "But I've figured out _this_ much. Don't worry about trying to be who you think she'd _want_ you to be. Be honest with her about who you _are_. Warts and all! That gets you a lot farther."

Adrien was silent.

"And let's get your head straight first about everything _else_ going on in your life. _Then_ worry about who likes who," Plagg finished. "And I think Ladybug can help you with that."

"Plagg," replied Adrien, slowly. "...Thank you. You're right. About all of that."

"I _know_ I am. Twice in one day, right? That has to be worth a _bunch_ of Camembert," grinned Plagg.

* * *

Evening came... and Marinette stretched out in her pajamas, ready for bed. Ready for sleep was another matter entirely.

 _I've been dreading what happened today for a long time,_ she thought to herself. _For some weird reason, our class is completely jinxed; EVERYONE in it had been targeted by Akumas, except for Adrien. And now, he has, too... and if he stays the way that he's been lately, he will be again!_

 _Oh... that LOOK he had, today!_ she shuddered. _It was like, his mask finally came off for a minute, and he showed me just how vulnerable he's really feeling. Not just from the Akuma... from everything going on with him! He nearly broke my heart, he looked so fragile..._

She looked at her phone, seeing that most of her friends had already signed off for the night or gone idle...

Except one.

 _I could call him, or text him_... wondered Marinette. _But for all I know, he's just about to get some sleep, finally, and then here comes Marinette going blah-bla-blah-bla-blah-bla-blah in his ear..._

 _I'll wait, and start my plan tomorrow,_ she reasoned. With a little smile, she thought, _And then my nights like this might even get a little more interesting!_

 _Priorities, Marinette,_ she reminded herself. _Help him first. Silly dreams that likely won't happen can wait._

She rolled over, still too wound up to sleep. Tikki was curled up in her favorite spot across the room, in a small upholstered container Marinette had crafted for her. _Do Kwamis even sleep like people do?_ Marinette wondered, idly. _Maybe it's just mental down time for her._

 _I'd sure like to have a little of that, myself._

* * *

 _Hello, ceiling. You and I will be getting to know each other well tonight. Again._

Adrien stared into space, blankly, feeling more numb than anything else at that moment. He turned his head for a moment, watching Plagg amuse himself browsing on the Internet, then returned to studying a tiny black spot on the ceiling that he wasn't entirely sure was really there.

 _I don't even know what to feel right now. Dad... I can't even think about him or I'm going to start throwing things. I've tried everything I can think of to get him to pretend to be human again, and nothing has worked. But is there anything else I can do? Like, I can't run away. Where would I go?_

 _I mean, I can slip out the window as Chat Noir once in a while and get some fresh air. That's always an option. But I know where home is, and I _don't want it_ any more but I have to come back here eventually. What am I going to do, tie up a bandana on a pole with some clothes and hitchhike to another city? Tell Nino that I live in his attic now? Set up a tent on somebody's roof? Get on a plane, get a part-time job as a waiter and hope for my big break in Hollywood?_

 _If nothing else... I can see what Dad is like _now_. If I ran off, Nathalie would have her hands full trying to keep him from burning the house down on a daily basis. He'd be hopeless. And so would I... I'm not old enough or savvy enough to be self-sufficient, even if I did empty my bank account first. So we're stuck with each other, and that means I have to find some way to coexist with him again._

Images from the afternoon's incident floated through his mind, and that distracted him away from his father's unpleasantness. _Normally, if I'm thinking about Ladybug, I can't sleep for entirely different reasons,_ he thought, wryly.

 _That look on her FACE when she rescued me!_ Adrien squirmed a little, uncomfortably. _I've seen so many expressions on her face when I'm Chat Noir, but this was a new one. It was like... in that moment, I couldn't hide anything from her. Hell, I couldn't have if I'd tried, I couldn't even think! She looked at me and she saw just how broken I am right now. She's the only one who has._

 _I've been by her side probably more than anyone else, with my ears on. I've seen her in all kinds of bad situations, consoling all kinds of people. But I've never seen her look so... hurt! It was like the situation took her right out of it, too, and she was as lost as I was for a second there._

 _She came right out of it, of course, because she's amazing. And the way she held me to calm me down, the things that she told me, that smile on her face once I felt a little better..._

 _If I hadn't been so in love with her _before_ this..._

 _Stop it, Adrien,_ he ordered himself. _Don't go thinking that you're super-special in her heart just because she took good care of you. You're a friend of hers; of course she was very concerned! You could lay here all night imagining what you want to imagine, and it won't change anything._

Adrien reached over and checked his phone to see what time it was: _11:30,_ he thought. _I hope I can calm down enough to sleep by two or so._

He scanned through one of his messaging applications, and saw that everyone else had sense enough to be asleep by then...

Except one.

 _Huh! Marinette's still up! Or at least she checked her phone recently, too._

An errant thought flickered through his mind... _I could text her and say 'Hi,' just to be friendly. Maybe she's got something on her mind, too. We could swap horror stories about our miseries._

 _...Nah. That's all she needs right now, right? A friend of hers bugging her around midnight, saying "Help me, my life is a wreck." Just what every girl dreams about happening to her! I've finally gotten closer to her as a friend, so now I'll just unload my problems on her out of the blue? I can't do THAT to HER!_

 _At the very least, I can't inflict myself on her until I've got things a little more under control._

 _Maybe someday I will._

* * *

Nathalie Sancoeur couldn't sleep, either.

She wasn't sure why; she felt fine. Just restless, for some odd reason.

Quietly, she stepped into some slippers and threw a robe over her pajamas, and padded down to the kitchen for a glass of water and something to snack on. She was mildly surprised to see a tall figure sitting in a chair there, a cup of coffee in hand, lost in thought.

"Gabriel?" she said, and smiled as he turned and acknowledged her. "Are you all right?"

"Not really," he shrugged. "And you?"

"Just needed a drink of water." She hesitated for a moment, before continuing in a quiet voice. "So... it didn't work?"

At the incredulous look on his face, she waved off his answer. _"Of course_ it didn't work. I met him at the door when he came home. Was he not quite ready?"

"Oh, he was ready," grumbled Gabriel. "The Akuma was literally inches away from him. And my nemesis just _happened_ to be right there, and snapped it up before it could touch him."

 _"Seriously?"_ Nathalie gasped, hushing herself as best she could. "How in the _world?_ Typically, we don't see Ladybug until well after the Akuma has made contact! How could she have known it was there?"

"I do not know," he answered. "Did someone tip her off about Adrien's mental state, somehow? Is she someone familiar to him, perhaps a schoolmate, beneath her mask? Simple horrific luck? Regardless, it happened. Weeks of preparation, negated in an instant."

"I don't know about... negated, exactly. He was _not_ looking good when he got here; I think today was one heck of a shock to him. You saw how shaky he was during his piano practice... and from what I eavesdropped on, you helped that along some more. He'll be back at that vulnerable point very soon."

"Lovely." Gabriel closed his eyes and lowered his head. "Just how I enjoy spending my days, torturing someone I love."

"You _know_ that this is for his own good, Gabriel. You've told me that a dozen times while we planned this," argued Nathalie. "The reward will be worth it in the end. I realize how uncomfortable it must feel in the meantime..."

 _"Do_ you?" interrupted Gabriel, looking up abruptly.

"I'm sorry, Sir," she apologized. "I'd imagine that I couldn't."

"It feels like desperation. Because that is _precisely_ what it is," he snarled, then forced himself to relax slightly. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't snap at you like that."

"It's fine. I think all of us are tight as a drum right now. It will be over soon, I hope."

"It must."

* * *

In the morning, Sabine looked over her daughter, watching her stumble into the kitchen with half-closed eyes. "Uh-oh," she sympathized. _"Someone's_ up early. Were you ever actually _down,_ dear?"

"Did I get any sleep, you mean? A little," Marinette replied. "But coffee is definitely the first thing on my to-do list. I'm getting a head start today, I'll need the boost."

"Is today's a long list?" asked Sabine. "Anything I can help you with?"

"Oh, it's nothing major," she demurred. _I guess I can tell her some of it,_ Marinette thought. "A friend of mine is having some problems at home, I think. I want to see if I can help him."

"Him? The plot thickens," said Sabine, raising an eyebrow. "Anyone I've met?"

"Um... Adrien Agreste," replied Marinette, trying without much success to avoid blushing.

"Ah. That _does_ make it more complicated, doesn't it?" Sabine offered, saying quite a bit without saying most of it out loud. "How bad is it?"

"I don't know for sure. Finding out if he wants to tell me is part of this," she admitted. "I don't want to push my luck, but..."

"But he's a good friend of yours. At least that, so far... A good enough reason to try, I'd say. Be gentle, okay?" her mother requested.

"I will, I promise. Now, about that coffee..."

* * *

Before long, Marinette was perched on the front steps of her school, pacing back and forth impatiently.

"Easy, Marinette," Tikki whispered. "He'll be here soon."

"He's not the only one I want to talk to, actually," replied Marinette.

Tikki left it at that, wondering who else she meant. Marinette sat down, off to the side of the main doorway, and pulled out one of her sketchpads.

"What are you doing?" asked Tikki, quite curious.

"Giving myself an excuse to be out here, if people ask. I'm doing a little light drawing, practicing crowd scenes," she smiled, then started some light pencil work. "Now all I need is a crowd."

* * *

The crowd wasn't far away. As the minutes ticked by, handfuls of students passed by her at a time; some greeting her as they walked by, many others whom she didn't know.

"Any minute now..." whispered Tikki.

"Actually, this is kind of fun. I hadn't done any figure drawing in a while. Good practice," Marinette whispered back.

A familiar sedan pulled up to the curb, and Tikki dove further into Marinette's purse. Marinette took a deep breath, but kept on drawing.

Adrien got out of the car and gave the driver a small wave as it pulled away, then turned to face the inevitable. He climbed the steps, one at a time, head facing down, ignoring his surroundings...

...until a cheerful voice by the front door woke him up. "Good morning, Adrien," said Marinette, brightly.

"Oh! Hi, Marinette!" Adrien replied, a little startled to see her there. "How are you?"

"Pretty good. Tired," she smiled. "Long night, for some reason. And you?"

"Oh... all right, I guess." Adrien watched her pencils moving and asked, "What are you working on?"

"Nothing fancy, just some basic sketches. I was up early enough that I figured I'd get a little morning air and a little practice in."

"Mind if I join you, and take a peek?" asked Adrien, catching her off-guard.

"S-sure, you can... they're not all that good, I'm better with clothing designs than people... that's why I need the practice," she stammered, shuffling over a little bit to make room as he sat down beside her. _I wasn't expecting that!_ she thought.

"I see... not bad at all, honestly!" smiled Adrien, paging through some of them. "Don't sell yourself short, Marinette. You're talented at just about everything you try."

"Thank you, I'm... flattered that you think so!" replied Marinette, trying to keep her body temperature below a steady simmer.

"Are you coming in? I can walk you to class, if you like," he asked her.

"N-not right this minute, actually..." she grinned, "but thank you for asking! Maybe I can take you up on that tomorrow?"

"I'll be happy to."

As Adrien stood up to go inside, Marinette stopped him by adding, "Actually, Adrien? I _was_ hoping that I'd see you this morning. Could you come find me at lunchtime? There's something I wanted to ask you about."

He looked a little surprised. "Oh? What is it?"

"I'll tell you later. It's nothing major, but can I talk to you for a few minutes then?" she asked, her heart throbbing in her chest.

"Absolutely. I'll come find you and we'll find somewhere quiet to talk. See you inside, okay?" said Adrien.

"You bet," smiled Marinette, then let out a huge breath once Adrien was inside the building. "AAAAAAGH!" she panted. "I did it!"

Tikki poked her head up to near the top of Marinette's purse and whispered, "Good job! See, you _can_ talk to him! But... I'm a little confused. Why didn't you go inside with him now?"

"Because that's not who I was waiting to talk to just now," whispered Marinette. "Though I would never turn Adrien away."

"He wasn't?" puzzled Tikki. "Then who..."

Marinette waved her down as she saw a handful of boys from her class head for the door, including Max, Kim and Nathaniel.

"Hey, Kim?" she called out. "Can I borrow you for just a second?"

* * *

Adrien settled into his normal seat, greeting those around him. He kept an eye out for Marinette's arrival, but she didn't appear right away.

Alya and Nino came in together, and he and Nino discussed the game they'd watched the night before, which distracted him from watching the classroom door for a while.

Meanwhile, Alya noticed the empty seat next to her. _I wonder what's keeping Marinette? I saw her as I was coming in, so she should be here by now..._

* * *

"Listen, I don't want to hold you up, but I wanted to ask you a favor," asked Marinette, doing her best to look innocent.

"Uh... sure! What's up?" asked Kim.

"I don't want to say a lot about it," she began, "but, um... Adrien's having kind of a rough time with some things at home right now. Could you do me a favor and lay off of teasing him for a few days, at least?"

Kim looked somewhat stunned. "Oh! Um... yeah, I can... how did you even _know_ about that? The teasing, I mean."

"I was out here talking to him the other day, coming out of here, and you yelled something at him that stung him. I forget what it was, it doesn't matter... Anyway, I'm not yelling at _you_ , okay? And he didn't put me up to this, either; he can fight his own fights. But I just know he's pretty stressed right now, and I think he could use his friends acting more like friends for a while."

Marinette smiled up at him, softly, hoping that her plea was sinking in. _Please let this work..._

"I didn't know that, um, I was getting to him _that_ much. I'll... I'll tone it down, I promise," apologized Kim. "Should I, like, apologize to him in person?"

"That's up to you," said Marinette. "I wouldn't make a big deal out of it unless he does. I think if you two just go back to normal, that might be fine. And please don't tell him that I asked you, or that I mentioned any of this, okay? I'd rather keep that between us. I don't know if that'd embarrass him. I can trust you, right?"

"Yeah, you can," Kim smiled. "Thanks for telling me. I never wanted to, y'know, _hurt_ him."

"Of course you didn't," Marinette replied, folding up her sketchpad and getting ready to go inside. "I know you better than that."

As they walked down the hallway together, Kim looked at Marinette and had to smile. "He's really lucky to have you, you know. As, um, such a good friend."

"Th-hanks," she replied, a touch awkwardly. "I appreciate that."

 _And maybe someday, he'll be interested in something more than that,_ she sighed to herself.

* * *

Kim entered the classroom just as the bell rang, and loped to his seat before being noticed. A moment later, Ms. Bustier greeted the class, but was distracted by Marinette opening the door and slipping inside the room.

"Marinette, if you're going to come late, would you please do it discreetly?" Ms. Bustier asked.

"Sorry..." she blushed, taking her seat quickly.

As the lesson began, Alya whispered to Marinette, "What was THAT about?"

"Nothing big, I'll tell you later!" whispered Marinette, trying not to get in trouble twice in the first two minutes of class. _I just didn't want Adrien seeing Kim and I together and guessing we were talking about him, that's all. Now how do I tell her that?_

A short while later, things had settled into a typical literature-class routine. Marinette leaned down to her purse, as if she was fetching something out of it, and tapped lightly on it to get Tikki's attention. "Are you ready?" she whispered.

"I'm ready," answered Tikki.

"Then let's start Phase 1," smiled Marinette, returning to an upright position.

Tikki poked out just enough to make sure no one was watching... then a tiny red blur shot out of her bag, across the floor and into Adrien's messenger bag. She accomplished her task quickly - it was a very small thing to do - and got a chuckle out of finding Plagg tucked away in there, sprawled out on his back, fast asleep. _It's a good thing that he doesn't snore,_ giggled Tikki, before dashing back to safety.

* * *

With about fifteen minutes left in class, Ms. Bustier finished up the lecture portion of what she had planned. "Now, it's time to practice a little of what you just learned," she smiled, drawing a mild groan from some of the students. "Could you each take out a piece of paper? I'd like each of you to write out a short essay - a couple of paragraphs will do, nothing big - on the differences between literary naturalism and romanticism..."

Adrien reached down into his bag, pulled out his pad of paper... and stared at it in disbelief.

On the front page of his notepad, there was a tiny red sticker shaped like a ladybug.

 _How did THAT get there?_ he wondered, and flipped to the next page... and found three more ladybug stickers waiting for him there.

He turned and glared sharply at Kim, who noticed Adrien's expression and looked confused. _What?_ Kim mouthed, silently.

 _Ohhh, I didn't think of that!_ worried Marinette, watching the exchange. _If he thinks Kim did that, that might make things WORSE!_

Adrien flipped to the next page, looking for a blank sheet without red-and-black adornment. This one had a small note attached to it, folded over, with a ladybug sticker on the outside.

 _I'll worry about that in a minute,_ thought Adrien, finally finding a blank sheet and ripping it out to complete the assignment. _Who does Kim think he's fooling?_

* * *

After class, the students filed out. Kim heard a sharp "HEY!" from behind him, and turned to see an angry Adrien walking towards him.

Marinette feigned tying her shoe as an excuse to stay close enough to overhear what they had to say to each other. _This would probably work better if I had shoelaces on these shoes,_ she worried. _But I doubt anyone is watching ME. Come on, please don't let me down, Kim!_ she thought.

"It's one thing to rag on me like you have been, Kim. But don't mess with my _stuff_ , okay?" accused Adrien.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Adrien. Really, I don't," replied Kim, looking confused again.

"You didn't do THIS?" Adrien said, holding up his notepad and pointing to the ladybugs on it.

"Um... no?" Kim answered. "That wasn't me. If I'd _thought_ of something like that while I was being a pain, maybe I would've _,_ but I didn't."

Adrien continued to glare at him, but with a little less intensity. _He seems like maybe he's telling the truth,_ he thought. _If he had done it, I doubt he could resist teasing me about it._

"Look, Adrien..." mumbled Kim, "I don't want this whole thing to go too far, okay? I'm sorry that I've been teasing you. I got all worked up because you smoked me out on the track, and I took it out on you and I shouldn't have. We all like who we like. With who I was chasing after for a while there, it's not like _I_ have any room to talk."

Adrien simmered for a moment longer... and then something resembling his typical smile reemerged. "Okay. Apology accepted."

"Are we good?" Kim asked. "I do have to get to my next class..."

"We're good. And any time you want another race, just ask," said Adrien, with a small grin.

"Hah! Next time, more like a weightlifting challenge," laughed Kim as he left.

* * *

Adrien scratched his head, idly, not hearing Marinette's sigh of relief a few meters away. _If Kim didn't do that... who on earth would've? He was the only one around here who was still teasing me about Ladybug..._

He flipped to the notepad page that had the note attached to it, and opened it up.

 **A reminder that your guardian angel is thinking of you. Let me know where and when we can meet!**

 **\- LB**

Underneath that was an email address that he didn't recognize. It was a Gmail account, with 'redbeetle' as part of the username, and he flashed back to Ladybug's words from the previous afternoon:

 _I'll find you in the next day or two and we'll work something out, okay? I'll see if I can set something up so that whenever you need me, you can contact me._

The implications sank in. Marinette heard Adrien say "Holy _crap_!" to himself quietly and saw his face light up with happiness, and tried not to give herself away by celebrating out loud.

She watched Adrien dash off to his own next class, then whispered to her purse, " _Great_ job, Tikki! That was perfect!"

"Yeah!" agreed Tikki. "A little bit lucky, too, but it worked out just like you'd hoped!"

"Okay, now _I_ have to run. If I'm late to _every_ class, sooner or later one of my teachers will write me up for it!" she giggled, taking off down another hallway.

* * *

"So... do you want to tell me what that was all about this morning?" pestered Alya, as she and Marinette took their seats in the school cafeteria. "You were here early today, I saw you on the steps when I got here... but you were the last one in. What were you up to?"

"A little peacemaking. I think it worked," smiled Marinette. "At least it looked like it did."

"Being crafty, huh?" admired Alya. "Cool. So how is Adrien, anyway?"

"Uh-oh," Alix chimed in, from a couple of seats over. "Another master plan in progress? Will we need code names again?"

"No, no, nothing like that," insisted Marinette, a little embarrassed. "If I need to call in the troops, make no mistake that I will, but this isn't about that. It's a little more basic, just trying to cheer him up."

"It must've _really_ worked," noted Alix, pointing her fork at the door.

Alya and Marinette looked in that direction, and saw Adrien entering the cafeteria, sporting a dreamy expression on his face, looking like he was about halfway tuned into the real world.

"Wow! I think he's pink-clouding!" marveled Alya.

"Yeah! _...Wait._ I _told_ you about that?" Marinette said, startled.

"He looks like someone smacked him in the face with the Happy Stick," grinned Alix. "What did you _do_ to him?"

"Not whatever _you're_ thinking, Alix," replied Marinette. "And I don't want to know what that is."

* * *

Marinette wolfed down her lunch as quickly as she could. _I don't know how long it'll be before he..._

"Hey, Marinette?" a gentle voice asked. "Oh! I didn't mean to interrupt," added Adrien, as he watched Marinette try to maintain control of the cutlery she was holding.

"No, I was just finishing up," she managed. "Did you eat yet?"

"Yeah," said Adrien. "It was small. You'd asked me to come and talk with you, right?"

"You did?" asked Alya.

"You DID?" echoed Alix.

"I _did,"_ replied Marinette, doing her best to ignore the peanut gallery. "Can we... take a walk somewhere? It won't take long."

"Sure! Let's go down by the library," suggested Adrien. "It's pretty quiet around there."

Marinette rose to join him, and as they left, Alix whispered, "Are we seeing the beginning of something here?"

"I don't know," Alya said. "But I think we might enjoy the show... At least the parts we get to watch."

* * *

Adrien and Marinette picked out a table on the east side of the library, away from everybody else. "You look like you're feeling a little better today, Adrien," ventured Marinette.

"I... am, thank you. Some things are going right for me, for a change," he answered. _Especially one thing in particular._ "You said you had something that you wanted to ask me?"

"Yeahhhh... I did," said Marinette, framing her words carefully. "I do NOT normally do this... This is something that's kind of been building up for a while, Adrien, and you've been on my mind a lot lately..."

She watched his face, and her words stopped in their tracks. _Is he... NERVOUS?_ she wondered. _Around ME?_

* * *

Adrien's mind was running at a million miles per hour.

 _Is Marinette... about to ask me OUT? Like, on a date? I mean, that's kind of great, I think, SHE'S great, I know I'd really like to spend more time with her, but I'm still TOTALLY a mess inside... could I let her put up with that right now? My whole life is a mess, my father's still crazy, I have no idea when I could make it happen, I don't know if Dad would actually let me out of the house to do it! And Marinette's amazing, actually, she's REALLY amazing, in a lot of ways, wow, maybe I need to THINK about this, but LADYBUG just left the cutest little notes in my bag today! How did she DO that? I never saw or heard her, I never suspected a thing! Is Ladybug INTERESTED in me? Was that who Plagg was hinting at? Could I POSSIBLY be that lucky? And if she is, oh my gosh, Marinette is right here, maybe asking me out, I can't possibly hurt her feelings NOW, I was going to say YES if she asked me out, wasn't I? Should I? CAN I? What if-_

"...Adrien?"

Adrien shook his head briefly, returning to reality. "I am so sorry, Marinette. I was... thinking of something that happened recently. You have my full attention," he apologized.

"It's fine," she smiled, shyly. "What I was trying to say is... Adrien, I've noticed you've seemed _really_ stressed lately. You haven't been yourself in weeks. You're putting on a pretty good show for most of us, but I can see that something's very wrong. Am I right about seeing that?"

He blinked twice, stunned into silence. When he spoke, it was in a very soft and vulnerable voice.

"Is it _that_ obvious?" he asked, quietly, looking a little bit alarmed.

"To me? Yes," Marinette half-whispered. "How bad _is_ it, Adrien?"

He swallowed hard, wondering how much he could feel comfortable telling her, until she stopped him.

"Let me put it this way, Adrien. You don't have to tell me everything. You don't have to tell me _anything_ if you don't want to, okay?" she said, her heart pounding. "But what I brought you here to tell you is that if you _want_ to talk about it, whenever that would be... you've got my number, you know where I live, you can pull me aside any time you need to. I'm listening, and I'm here."

A wave ran through Adrien that he would never be able to describe in words, as long as he lived.

* * *

"I..." Adrien struggled to form words that would make sense.

 _Oh, no..._ Marinette began to babble, "I... didn't mean to make you uncomfortable or overstep anything, Adrien, and I'm _so_ sorry and I don't want to pressure you or make you feel like you have to-"

"I'm really, _really_ lucky to know you, Marinette," said Adrien, giving her a small but sincere smile. "And I... _want_ to tell you. I do. I don't want to just dump my problems on you, but you're one of the only people that I'd trust. I just... I can't put everything going on with me into words in ten minutes, and that's about how much time we've got here before we've got to get back to class."

"Do it when you're ready, however you'd be comfortable. I won't rush you; you know where I'll be," replied Marinette, glowing softly. "I just want to help, if I can."

"Marinette... I don't think I have a single day where you don't," Adrien smiled, even more warmly.

* * *

Deep in his lair, Hawkmoth scanned the city of Paris, looking for a very specific target...

" _NOTHING!_ ," he raged. "Not even a _flicker_ of melancholy in him! _Unbelievable."_

He stood still, with his head in his hands. _That's good, isn't it?_ he told himself. _Your son is resilient? Not fully broken? Actually HAPPY?_ _He has enough of his mother in him that he can bounce back from the worst you can throw at him?_

But the voice of necessity grew in volume in his mind, until it could no longer be ignored.

 _That's not the worst you can throw at him._

 _And it WON'T be._

 _It simply CAN'T._

* * *

Next time:

* You've Got Mail!

* A quiet rendezvous for two.

* "Why _are_ you doing all of this?"

* An inevitable escalation.

* And more...


	3. Let's Try Feeling Alone Together

Someone To Watch Over Me, Chapter 3: Let's Try Feeling Alone Together

* * *

As Marinette walked to the front door of her school, she held her breath a little. Alya, walking next to her, had been chatting away on a variety of topics all afternoon... but had left one in particular conspicuously un-asked about.

 _It's coming. I know it is! I know you better than that, Alya._

Finally, near the end of the hallway, Marinette looked at Alya with one eyebrow raised. "It's burning a hole through you. Go ahead, ask me," she grinned.

"If you're suggesting that I would intrude upon delicate matters of the heart..." replied Alya.

The pair stepped through the front door out onto the steps... where Mylène, Rose, Juleka and Alix were standing together, their heads whipping around at Marinette's approach. Rose had an unmistakable look of anticipation on her face, which lit up immediately at the sight of them.

"...it would be most impolite to leave your other friends out of it," Alya cackled. "Okay, girl - _spill!"_

Marinette facepalmed, turning red, but with a smile. _Should've expected this..._

* * *

The group moved a short distance to the side and settled into a seated circle.

"There's not that much to tell, honestly," began Marinette.

"Oh, come on, we saw what we saw," smirked Alix. "Did you finally ask him out?"

The faces fell a little bit at Marinette's reply of "No, I didn't..."

Rose looked a little confused. "You didn't want to? Or you just couldn't?" she asked.

"I, uh... of _course_ I want to!" stammered Marinette. "Someday... But that's not what this was about today."

She explained the circumstances of why she'd pulled Adrien aside - "there's only so much I know, and I don't want to gossip about it," she warned - and how she'd volunteered herself as a sounding board for whatever issues he was enduring.

"That was really sweet of you, Marinette," admired Juleka. "Did he tell you what's going on?"

"Not exactly? He looked kind of surprised that I could tell he was feeling bad, and kind of relieved that someone had. He told me that he trusts me and wants to talk things out with me, but 'I can't do this in ten minutes' and that's about all the time we had," replied Marinette. "I really hope that he does reach out."

"Speak of the devil," noted Mylène, with a grin.

Adrien and Nino strolled through the door together, in the middle of their own conversation. They turned and waved politely to the girls as they walked by... but when Adrien saw Marinette among the group, his eyes locked onto her and he paused to make sure she'd seen him.

"I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Adrien called to her.

"I sure hope so," Marinette smiled back. As Adrien headed down to his waiting car, and Marinette pointedly ignored a quiet undercurrent of "Ooooohhhh..." behind her, Nino doubled back to meet up with Alya.

"Hi, honey," he told Alya, settling in next to her. "Hey, everybody."

"How's he doing?" asked Marinette, a little nervously.

"He seemed a lot cheerier this afternoon," replied Nino. "He told me about the talk he had with you; he seemed really touched by what you did. And, um... he was all fluttery about some note he found in his classroom stuff."

 _"Note?"_ asked Alya, as all other heads whipped towards Marinette.

* * *

Adrien entered the sedan with a genuine smile on his face. The driver, his bodyguard, returned it with one of his own. Nathalie's face, on the other hand, gave nothing away.

"Good afternoon, Adrien. How was your day?" she asked, evenly.

"Surprisingly good, actually!" Adrien grinned. "A nice change."

"Hmmm... that's good news, then. What went well for you?" asked Nathalie, ready to take substantial mental notes.

"Oh... a friend of mine and I had been having problems, and we made up. Then another friend pulled me aside and said, 'You haven't been yourself lately, so come talk to me any time you need to lean on me.' And that was... well, kind of what I've come to expect from her, she's _so_ nice and thoughtful... but it still surprised me when she saw right through how I've been feeling," he explained.

"Let me guess. The baker girl?" Nathalie smirked.

"Y-yes... _how_ did you know that?" Adrien replied, looking surprised.

"I pay attention to whom you talk about, Adrien. And she's certainly on your mind quite a bit."

"She... is. She's a _wonderful_ friend," said Adrien, looking thoughtful.

At that, he heard a small, grunting laugh from the driver, who did his best to muffle it. Nathalie remained stonefaced. "She's never responded romantically to you?" she asked, pursuing that line of thought. "From what I've heard from you, she seems to care about you a great deal."

"I... don't think she's ever made any romantic moves my way," said Adrien, a little confused. _Though I kind of thought she was about to, today..._

"No, I meant from _you_ to _her,"_ clarified Nathalie.

Now Adrien looked even more startled. "What makes you think that I'm romantically pursuing Marinette?" he asked, hesitantly, as if he wasn't too sure if _he_ had an answer to that.

"Oh! I'm sorry. She's already seeing someone else, then?"

It still wasn't clicking with Adrien; he looked a bit like a dog with its head tilted, trying to comprehend French poetry.

"I don't... think so? I know that time I went skating with Kagami, she was there with Luka, Juleka's brother... the guitarist from our band, you know, the guy with no eyelashes? But I hadn't heard anything about them together since, and I hadn't really... asked?" he ventured. "She'd told me once, a while ago, that she had someone she liked who'd left her with a broken heart. But she didn't tell me who that was."

Nathalie blinked, reading his lack of coherency, then waved him off. "Oh, never mind. I may be inferring things that just aren't there," she offered. "Are you ready for round three with your concerto this afternoon?"

"Yeah, I'm ready," he grinned. "I think I've got that section near the end ironed out that'd been giving me trouble."

"I hope so," said Nathalie, at least partially sincerely.

* * *

Marinette kept her cheeks from turning scarlet through force of will alone. " _What_ note, Nino?" she asked, innocently.

"He didn't say much about it," said Nino. "Just that he found one in his notebook and then he went all... um..."

"...Pink-cloudy," finished Alya.

"Yeah, that's it," Nino smiled.

Marinette gave them a frustrated look. _How DOES everyone know about my romantic daydream fantasy world?_ she thought. _Do I talk in my sleep?_

"So the note wasn't you asking him to talk with you later, Marinette?" asked Juleka, trying to put the pieces together. "Or asking him anything else?"

"Not that I know of. Have I ever struck any of you as the kind of person who could sneak around with romantic notes for Adrien and not get caught?" she replied.

"She has a point there," chuckled Alix. "With anyone _but_ Adrien, maybe."

"I can pretty much guarantee that whoever wrote the note, it doesn't have _my_ name on it," added Marinette, amusing herself with the irony there.

"That's not good, though, is it?" pondered Rose, drawing some questioning looks. "That means that someone _else_ might be interested in him and letting him know..."

"Don't look at _me,"_ shrugged Alix.

"I was behind Chloe and Sabrina all day; it couldn't have been either of them," noted Mylène. "Neither one went anywhere near his stuff, at least from what I saw."

"M-maybe it wasn't romantic at all, you know," Marinette threw in. "Maybe it was just someone letting him know they were thinking of him."

"I dunno," Nino replied, looking doubtful. "It looked like a pink-cloud face to me. But maybe."

* * *

As the sedan plowed through the afternoon traffic of downtown Paris, Nathalie's fingers flew on the keyboard of her tablet.

 **[Gabriel]** **An update, please?**

 **[Nathalie] He seems _remarkably_ positive today. A total turnaround.**

 **[Nathalie] Friends at school boosted his spirits. Particularly the baker girl.**

 **[Gabriel] Unfortunate in this situation, but difficult to avoid.**

 **[Nathalie] Interestingly, she seems closer to him than ever, but he remains fully platonic. Perhaps he's just blind to that?**

 **[Nathalie] So targeting her might not be the weak spot we'd hoped... Still, perhaps a potential angle to exploit.**

 **[Gabriel] Indeed.**

 **[Nathalie] Should I set him up for a downswing this afternoon?**

 **[Gabriel] Not yet. Let him come down on his own before we continue with our plan.**

 **[Gabriel] If he is quite happy right now, I would have to be a _complete ogre_ to reverse that. I am wary of pushing too hard.**

 **[Gabriel] We will bide our time and watch for an opening.**

 **[Nathalie] Understood. I'll follow your lead on how much we must rush.**

* * *

Gabriel sat in his study, staring at the text conversation, lost in difficult thought.

 _"This will hurt me more than it hurts you" is one of the oldest parental cliches there is,_ he mused. _I am learning its truth more day by day._

Tapping at his keyboard, he called up his scans of the Book of Lore on his computer, riddled with notes, partial translations and question marks. Slowly, he perused the small pieces of it that he'd been able to decipher, or at least infer what it was _likely_ that they said.

 _My time of desperation is at hand,_ he thought. _The days when I could peck away at my enemies' weaknesses, trying one Akuma after another, searching for a weak point are over. I threw my best shot at them, and they not only weathered the storm, but very nearly defeated and unmasked me! Only Nathalie's intervention saved me... and that may end up costing her more than she is aware of._

 _So, very soon, I must strike hard and true, straight to the heart of my foes. I must create a foe that Ladybug not only will not defeat, but_ _CANNOT defeat. One that would burn down all of Paris rather than fail in its mission. One with, if I am interpreting these pages right... as strong of a connection to Emilie, familial or emotional, as possible. Drawing from those energies, as well as the Ladybug and Cat, might give me the strongest possible chance of being successful._

 _There is only one person whom that can be._

 _As resilient as he is, as much of his mother's spirit as he has in him... he has proven a most elusive target._

 _But I may not have many chances left, before I am discovered. I was an utter fool to go out in public as Hawkmoth, so sure of my inevitable victory! Even now, they may be combing the news footage of my defeat for clues; the knock at my door may come at any time. Or perhaps I will wake up one morning gagged and bound, with a smirking Ladybug and Chat Noir standing over my bed, mocking me in triumph._

 _For my wife's sake... for my SON'S sake... I must break my son's will. I must catch him at his weakest and mold him into who and what I need, and pray that when he returns to normal and finds his mother alive and well, he will understand why I have done what I have done._

 _It would break my heart to lose him... and by the end of all this, I may well lose him, completely._

 _...but if my fate is what it may will be, he needs HER more than he needs me._

* * *

Marinette plopped down on her bed, with butterflies in her stomach. "I think we did everything right today, Tikki," she said. "Up until now, at least. But I can't shake the feeling that I should've followed Adrien home again..."

"Well..." Tikki considered, "you did see him get into the car this time, so he's not out alone on his own. You can't hover over him 24/7, and he looked so much happier today than yesterday."

"True," agreed Marinette. "But..."

"AND, since you know he found the note, you might be hearing from him before long," smiled Tikki.

"Which has me more nervous than the Akuma did," Marinette giggled. "The way he reacted to that note... Tikki, what am I going to do if he _does_ have a crush on me? On Ladybug, I mean?"

"One step at a time, Marinette. He may be smiling today, but listen to what he has to say about his problems first. Dating Adrien as Ladybug could be... _complicated_ ," hinted Tikki, as indirectly as she could. "Even in normal times. And he hasn't been normal lately."

"Right. You're right! I need to stay focused. What's best for him comes first, and that's healing him, not kissing him."

Marinette pondered the situation for a moment. "Do you think I should ask Chat Noir to check on him, too? I know they know each other," she asked.

"Um..." stammered Tikki. "Well, _you_ reached out to Adrien first, right? Maybe find out more before you get Chat involved." _Speaking of complicated..._ she thought.

"Yeah." She hopped off the bed, sat in her computer chair, logged into her new account, and mentally willed an email to arrive.

And waited...

And waited...

* * *

The final bars of Grieg's Concerto in A Minor echoed in the air of Adrien's room.

The pianist took a deep breath, opened his eyes, and looked anxiously at his audience of one.

Gabriel straightened his glasses, measuring his son with a meaningful look, and considering his response. When it came, it was short and to the point...

"...Flawless."

Adrien exhaled, loudly.

"That is the kind of performance I expect from you, Adrien. The third movement in particular was as perfect as I have ever heard you play it. An excellent job, son."

"Thank you, father. Today... um... I was able to concentrate properly," Adrien replied, shyly. "That made quite a difference."

Gabriel read the subtle reference there to his frigid response of the day before, and winced internally. "I... see," he managed, with a tight smile. "I do hope that such a state continues; it makes this experience so much more pleasant for both of us."

He stood up, with a thoughtful look on his face. "Might I suggest Schumann's Concerto next? Their stylistic similarities should make for a fairly easy transition."

"I agree. I'm already familiar with that one; I'll start practicing immediately," agreed Adrien.

"...Don't rush. Take a little time with it, all right? I do appreciate a job well done," his father replied. "We will pick these sessions up again in a few days, perhaps. For now, I anticipate that supper will be ready shortly, so rather than diving into it right away..."

"Yes, thank you," said Adrien, cheerfully. "Will you be eating with us tonight?"

"I'll... try," said Gabriel, hesitantly. "I have some other business I must attend to first."

He left the room, quickly, leaving Adrien to come to terms with the temporary tension release.

* * *

"A watched inbox never boils," noted Tikki, wryly.

"I know, I _know_..." mumbled Marinette. "But this is so important!"

"Let me put it this way, Marinette," smiled Tikki. "If you'd received a note from _Adrien_ like that, would you be able to respond right away? Or would you sit there for a few hours, staring at your computer, agonizing over what would be the perfect response?"

Marinette was silent... but her face screamed out _You know me so well._

From downstairs, Marinette heard her mother's voice calling. "Marinette! Supper will be on the table in a few minutes!"

"Coming!" she replied. "All right," she added, in Tikki's direction. "I'll do my best to breathe normally. And I'll sneak you up a taste of dessert..."

"Oooh!" the Kwami cooed, happily.

* * *

"You're going to wear out your Backspace key," chuckled Plagg.

"I know, Plagg..." Adrien grumbled. "This is, what, my fifth draft of this?"

"Ninth," corrected Plagg. "But who's counting?"

"I only kept changing one sentence back and forth those other times," growled Adrien.

"Still counts!"

A sigh was Adrien's only response.

"Look, Adrien, you're overthinking this," said Plagg. "You're not writing a full-on love note here. Or... _are you?_ "

The sigh turned into a full-on glare, which set Plagg off laughing again. "I know you're not. But that look on your face was worth it! Anyway... if you're just picking a time and place to meet and talk, it's not that big a deal, is it?"

"The girl I love wants to meet me somewhere in private and spend time with me. And you think that's not a big deal?" asked Adrien.

"You spend time with her all the time..."

"But not as _me,_ as Chat Noir! There's a difference," insisted Adrien. "I mean, it's still _me_ either way, but she reacts so differently when I'm normal..."

A text message from Nathalie interrupted the conversation:

 **[Nathalie] Are you coming down for dinner?**

"You'd better," said Plagg. "As little as they let you eat around here, you need every meal you can get."

* * *

Marinette sat down at the dinner table and greeted her parents warmly. "Mmmm," she smiled, "I could smell this all the way upstairs, Mom. I've been looking forward to this since I got home."

"I agree. Everything looks wonderful, honey," echoed Tom, getting a wide grin from his wife.

"Oh, it was nothing," replied Sabine. "Marinette, how did your mission of mercy go today?"

"Very well, actually, thank you," she answered. To her father's curious expression, she replied, "Letting a troubled friend at school know he could lean on me if he needs to."

"That's very nice of you, Marinette. Anyone we know?" asked Tom.

Sabine half-covered her face and whispered, deliberately too loudly, "THE ONE."

"Ah, you mean Adrien! What's going on with him?" Tom grinned, enjoying Marinette's reaction to that.

"I don't know all that much yet. I think he's having problems at home," she managed to reply. "The way his father pressures him to be so perfect, I wouldn't be surprised if it's related to that."

"I thought he _was_ perfect..." teased Tom, then backtracked with a gentler tone when his daughter made a face at him. "I'm kidding, Marinette. I'll be serious. How did it go?"

She described her lunchtime meeting, along with a tiny bit of her peacemaking efforts with Kim. "He looked so stunned when I told him I could tell he was really hurting," sighed Marinette. "Even if I'm still just a friend to him... he should know me better than that by now!"

"Teenage boys are not known for their awareness. Not even the sensitive ones like him," soothed Sabine. "And we all have our blind spots. I bet he did fool a lot of people... just not people like you who keep watch over him."

"Keep that up, and that's the kind of thing the right boy _should_ notice," suggested Tom. "If that helps."

"Yeah, I know. I might even make it all the way to Just A _Really_ _Good_ Friend by summertime," she grumbled, but her good humor came back quickly. "Anyway, he knows I'm here to listen. If he reaches out, that'd be wonderful, but I'm not going to lose sleep tonight over-"

The sound of a ringing cell phone was heard from upstairs, very faintly, and Marinette hurled herself up the stairs like a bolt of lightning.

"Not losing any sleep, is she?" chuckled Tom.

"Oh, shush. You know she means well," chided Sabine.

"Of course she does. That's my girl," he beamed, proudly.

* * *

A moment later, Marinette came downstairs with phone in hand and sat down again. "Wrong number," she explained.

"You can have your phone at the table, Marinette," Sabine replied. "Just excuse yourself if he calls."

"Oh, I know, I just didn't want to be rude," said Marinette.

"Let us know if we can help you help him, okay?" noted Tom. "I'm not sure what we can do, but we're listening, too, okay?"

"I know, and thank you," smiled Marinette. "But right now I have something else on my mind," she added, looking at her dinner plate.

* * *

Adrien entered his own dining room looking hopeful. As he sat down, joining Nathalie, he asked, "Just the two of us?"

"I believe so," Nathalie replied. "Your father is ironing out some contract details. It'll probably be another hour or two."

"Hmmph," grumbled Adrien. "So we really are getting back to normal around here."

"Am I poor dinner company?" asked Nathalie, with a tinge of humor.

"Not what I meant at all," backpedaled Adrien. "But he and I had something of a positive moment earlier... I was hoping to spend some more time with him while he was still in a good mood."

Nathalie looked thoughtful for a moment, a bit conflicted. "If there's one thing I've learned from working with your father, Adrien," she replied, "it's to enjoy his good moods for what they are. They're like shooting stars; they're beautiful, but they don't last."

"He hasn't always been like that. Things used to be so different," Adrien said, quietly.

"If you could go back to that, you would, wouldn't you?" asked Nathalie. "No matter what it cost?"

"In a heartbeat," agreed Adrien. "But I know how impossible that is."

"Never say never," said Nathalie, cryptically. When Adrien looked at her, puzzled, she simply added, "Finish your quinoa."

* * *

After eating, Adrien went back up to his room, feeling unsettled. "I feel like I've got to get out of here tonight, Plagg," he said. "Dad gave me some time off to think, and I don't think well in here lately."

"Well... I think I can arrange that, as long as that window still unlocks," replied Plagg. "Are you going to meet up with Ladybug? And as yourself, or as Chat Noir?"

"Hmmm... I should do that as myself, first. I hate to dump my problems on her... but she really seems to want to help." Adrien went over to his computer and started typing. "So instead of staring at this mail draft all night..."

* * *

Marinette sat on her bed, sketching idly.

 _I am not going to sit and stare at that computer monitor all night,_ she told herself. _I am not going to scream if he doesn't respond in the next hour or two. I'm sure he has lots of things going on in his life right now, and as much as I'd like to-_

*BA-BLOOP!*

A new-mail alert sent Marinette flying across the room. She checked her inbox, and found:

 **To my guardian angel:**

 **I'm feeling really cooped up tonight, and I need some time away from here. If you're free tonight, could you meet me sometime outside my front gate? I'd like to take you up on your offer to talk, and maybe even pry out of you how you got that note into my bag.**

 **\- Adrien**

 _"Perfect!"_ she crowed, in triumph. She typed back, quickly:

 **I'm free tonight. Can I pick you up there in about twenty minutes? We can figure out where we want to go from there. LB**

"Once he confirms that that'll work," Marinette said to Tikki, "I'll let my parents know I'm going out and we'll go."

* * *

Adrien saw Ladybug's response and grinned. "That was fast," he said. "She must've been at her computer when I sent that... whoever she is."

"Or had her phone set to that account," suggested Plagg. He noted Adrien's odd expression and asked, "...What?"

"Nothing," Adrien evaded. "Just... it seems a little funny thinking of Ladybug that way, but _of course_ she's a normal person underneath."

He replied:

 **I'll be there. Can't wait to see you!**

 **\- Adrien**

"You're up for a very short transformation, buddy?" asked Adrien. "Just enough to get me out the window and over the wall."

"Yeah, sure," Plagg agreed. "Camembert paybacks go to the usual address."

* * *

Seeing Adrien's reply, Marinette hopped up and readied a few things. "One nice thing about meeting him as Ladybug," she said to Tikki, "is that I don't have to spend hours agonizing over what to wear and how my hair and makeup look! You do all the work for me there."

"As if making you look attractive is hard work," teased Tikki.

"Oh, _stop_ ," grinned Marinette. "I know better."

She headed downstairs and found her mother in the laundry room. "Mom, Adrien messaged me and he'd like to meet up tonight for a little while and talk. Is it okay if I go meet him for a little while?"

"Sure, just be careful. Do you need a ride?" asked Sabine.

"No, I'm... going to ride my bike over. I won't stay out too late; I know it's a school night," she evaded.

"All right, then. Tell him we said hello," Sabine smiled.

With that, Marinette slipped out the back door, got onto her bicycle and rode it over to a nearby alley; _it wouldn't do for them to find it still in the garage,_ she reasoned, parking it there, _if I'm 'riding it over to meet Adrien_.' "Spots on!" she called, and a moment later, she took to the air.

* * *

Adrien paced nervously along the sidewalk, just outside the front gate of his estate, the high concrete walls behind him.

"I'm going to look _awfully_ silly if this is some kind of prank," he muttered to the Kwami in his jacket pocket.

"You don't really think that it is, do you?" replied Plagg. "Kim seemed honest that it wasn't him. And Ladybug seemed sincere about wanting to see you."

"I know... but part of me still can't believe it," Adrien said. "I mean, this isn't a _date_ or anything... she's just being proactive about Akumas... right?"

Plagg just chuckled to himself.

A flash of scarlet caught Adrien's eye, and his heart jumped in his chest. It swung gracefully from a rooftop down the street, hopped across a lower building, used a streetlight for one more change of direction, and landed by his side with a quiet thump.

"Hi," Ladybug grinned.

"Hi, yourself," Adrien managed. "Thank you for coming."

"Thank you for inviting me!" she replied. "So... where should we go? I figured you'd want somewhere kind of private, where we could talk in peace."

"Well, you can get us to so many more places than I could," reasoned Adrien. "Are you going to be warm enough if we're outside?"

"I'll be fine for a while, at least. This costume's thin, but it insulates very well. Kind of like thermal leggings," said Ladybug. "Got anywhere in particular in mind?"

"Oh... how about the picnic area, over in Place Dauphine? It shouldn't be full of people right now, and it's better scenery than some random rooftop," he ventured.

"Sounds great. Ready to go for a ride?" asked Ladybug, gesturing for him to cuddle up close so she could carry him.

He wrapped his arm over her shoulders, felt her arm grasp his waist, and it felt like... _home_.

* * *

A short while later, Adrien sat down at a picnic bench. Expecting Ladybug to sit down across from him, he was surprised when she came around and sat next to him, on the same side.

"...So," Adrien began.

"...So," Ladybug echoed, and they shared a laugh. "How do we start this? I guess like this... how have you been feeling since yesterday? Any better?"

"Getting there," answered Adrien. "Today helped quite a bit. I had a couple of stresses that eased up, and a very sweet friend of mine from school reached out to me, too. _That_ really made my day..."

Adrien saw Ladybug's smile widen, and wondered for a moment... _Is she BLUSHING? With that red mask, it's hard to tell, but..._

"That's good," she replied. "Don't take this the wrong way, Adrien, because _anyone_ can get targeted by an Akuma. Anyone can have a bad day or a rough moment, so don't feel bad about it at all, okay? But it really surprised me when I realized it was coming after _you_. From what I know about you... it's not like you to feel _that_ down or angry. Can you tell me a little about what's going on?"

"Sure..." Adrien took a deep breath.

Over some time, he explained to her how his father had seemed distant ever since his mother's disappearance, but how that had ratcheted up intensely over the last month or so, and how the previous day had been flat-out horrible. He skipped over the part about being teased about his crush on Ladybug, for... reasons.

"I'm used to pressure from him, and to him not having a lot of time for me. His job takes up so much of his time, and I can tell how much he's still hurting over my mother. What I _don't_ understand is why it got so much worse, so quickly!" he said. "It's felt like he's gone out of his way to find everything I've done the least bit wrong, even when it wasn't my fault, and throw it in my face."

"Ouch," Ladybug sympathized. "I can't say that my own parents have ever been like that to me... but I can only imagine how much that would hurt."

"And it's not like I can do much other than suck it up and deal with it, either," he continued. "My father keeps me locked down pretty tightly... you wouldn't believe how much begging it took for me to be able to go to public school, just to be around people my own age! I kind of had to earn some time off tonight, just to be able to make the time to be here with you. Which he doesn't know about, so I can't stay _too_ long..."

"However long you're comfortable with," assured Ladybug. "Do you like the school you're in?"

"Definitely, most of the time! It's a great escape from everything else going on. I've made some very good friends there, my class is awesome... well, most of them, anyway..." smiled Adrien. "It's not like I'm on safari amongst the common people, or anything like that, you know? It's like, when I'm there and around everybody, I feel like this is how I was _supposed to be_ all along. Not feeling like Rapunzel up in her tower, only let out for photoshoots."

He thought for a moment before continuing. "The other thing about my father is that, well... he's hurting, too. I know I'm important to him, whether he shows it or not. And not just from the business end, being one of his primary models and everything... I'm his _son_. I need to do whatever I can to help _him_ and make him feel loved and needed. And, lately... very little seems to work."

"That can't be easy on you. At all," said Ladybug, softly. She reached out and took his hand with both of hers. "Do you have friends from school that you can let this kind of thing out with? Or anyone else where you live?"

"Around the house, not really... my bodyguard kind of keeps to himself, though I know he's sympathetic. Nathalie, my father's assistant, is my father's right hand; whatever he wants, she makes happen. So she gets that I'm unhappy but she's paid very well not to care much about that. That sounds mean of me to say, but it's pretty accurate," he replied, glumly. "At school... my best friend's named Nino, I'm pretty sure you've met him. He does his best to be a really good friend to me, but my father doesn't like him much. We don't get to spend as much time together as I'd like, so that makes it hard. And I'm in a band with a couple of others from school, so we get together to practice sometimes... but that's about band time, not swapping horror stories. They have to do without me more often than I'd like; it wouldn't surprise me if they kick me out eventually because of that."

"I do have other good friends there, though," he continued. "Like the girl who reached out to me today, and asked me if I'd tell her why I'd been so down lately. Marinette's her name. She's... someone special."

Ladybug saw the beginnings of a pink-cloudy expression on his face...

* * *

 _Tell me all about her and how you feel about her,_ Ladybug stopped herself from screaming. Instead, she simply nodded, indicating for him to continue.

"You'll laugh at this," Adrien smiled. "The other day, I told her she was our 'everyday Ladybug,' because even without a costume, she reminds me of _you_ in many ways. She'd do anything to help a friend in need. She's _so_ selfless and sweet. I almost didn't want to open up to her today, even though she asked me to, because I didn't want to feel like I was taking advantage of her good nature and dumping on her... But her powers of persuasion are very hard to resist."

"I..." stammered Ladybug. "I really don't think that she minds. That's the kind of person she is." _MUST... SUPPRESS... RED FACE!_ "You know that I've met her, from one Akuma or another. I wouldn't say I know everything about her, but she seems to me like someone who cares quite a lot about her... friends."

"Kind of like how I didn't want to just dump on _you,_ either," said Adrien, himself turning red. "I know you have better things to do than to listen to me venting about my life, though I'm very grateful that you're here."

Ladybug gave him a knowing grin. "Let me show you what better things I have to do, Adrien. Can I see your phone for a second?"

He passed it across to her, with a slightly confused expression. He watched as she typed something into it, then handed it back.

"Dial the number I just entered, okay?" smiled Ladybug.

Adrien looked in his contacts, and saw a new entry labeled "LB" with a phone number attached. Dutifully, he dialed it... and heard a phone ring, just behind Ladybug, which she reached for and held up.

"I don't do this for just anyone, just so you know that," Ladybug said, a little nervously. "You're the _only one_ who has this number, and I'll trust you not to give it out. But when you need another person to lean on or talk to, that's a way you can reach me, either calling or texting. Even if I'm out of costume."

The implications hit Adrien like a freight train. _Ladybug just gave me a portal into her PRIVATE LIFE!,_ he gasped, internally. _Even Chat Noir's never been allowed THAT!_

* * *

"I... don't know what to say, Ladybug," Adrien managed. "Why are you doing all of this for me?"

 _Because without the mask, I'm in love with you?_ Ladybug suppressed, via a mental headlock.

"A few reasons," she began. "One is really simple... because you're a friend of mine, and I can tell that you could use another good friend right now."

She hesitated, debating how much to open up to him... then continued. "I keep my normal life and my Ladybug life as separate as I can, to keep my family and my friends safe," she confided. "Even though they're both 'me,' I don't let this 'side' open up very much. I have a lot of people whom I'm friendly with as Ladybug, but not a lot of close friends as her, y'know?"

"What about Chat Noir?" Adrien asked, unable to stop himself. "I mean, I know he's not your _boyfriend,_ but surely..."

To his surprise, Ladybug sank down where she was sitting, wrestling with emotions. "Chat and I are... complicated." She looked up at Adrien with a weak smile and added, "See, now you don't have to feel bad about 'dumping' on me! We're friends. It's your turn to psychoanalyze _me._ "

"I'm all ears," said Adrien, wide-eyed...

* * *

"Okay, first off... what I'm about to say... I know that you've met Chat Noir. You don't tell him any of this, okay? Because I wouldn't want him to hear this second-hand. If I ever did get the nerve to tell him, I'd want to do it to his face," said Ladybug, her eyes pleading with Adrien.

"What you say stays between you and me," he whispered, suddenly a little bit terrified. "I promise."

"Chat is very, very dear to me. Maybe more than even he knows," she began. "And, no, he's not my boyfriend. Though he really wants to be... and there are days where I feel terrible about telling him 'no.'"

Adrien's heart dropped into his stomach, but he remained silent.

"He is such a sweetheart. He's the best partner I could ever ask for, and such a good friend. He's brave, he's honest, he's smarter than he admits to, he takes so many beatings trying to protect me, even when he doesn't have to. He has a caring, compassionate, tender side that's just... _ohhh_ , when he shows that, he pushes the right buttons. I'll admit that much," said Ladybug.

"But as long as I have these," she continued, pointing to her earrings, "I just _can't_ even _consider_ it. Our secrets are too important! Imagine if I did let him into my private life, and me into his, and then some villain with telepathy or mind control says 'Tell me who your partner is, under the mask.' There goes Paris, right? Hawkmoth wins without even trying. Or he gets hit by some villain's attack, and I yelp out his real name by mistake... it'd be disastrous."

"So I keep my wall up around him, in part because I _have to_. He doesn't deserve that, but we don't have a _choice._ And what makes me feel a little better about that is that I know that, just like me, he has another life to go home to. He can turn off the costume and he has friends, family, a private life... and, deep down, I think he gets that, and that's why he doesn't push me as much for a relationship any more. He knows he has a special place in my life, even if it's not involving kissing."

"He did mention once that there was also another guy...?" asked Adrien, hinting as much as he dared.

"There is someone that I'm crazy about, yes," Ladybug admitted, sheepishly. "Someone I know with my mask off. And maybe someday that'll work out like I hope it will."

 _THAT'S... new information_ , thought Adrien. _My competition might be Ladybug's crush, not her boyfriend!_

"This feels a little strange to me, I have to admit," she giggled. "I've never talked about Chat like this with anyone. When I'm Ladybug, I don't really have anyone to talk to about these kinds of things."

"Well, maybe now you do," smiled Adrien.

"But let me bring this back around," continued Ladybug. "You asked me why I'm doing this for you... Well, that kind of 'feeling lonely, because you're a public figure and you have to keep your shields up' feeling? Like I just said, I get that. Chat Noir gets that. But _we_ each have another life to go home to when there's no Akuma. Adrien... you kind of _don't!_ It sounds like you get a little escape from it now and then, through school, and then you feel like you're locked away, and that's kind of _worse_ than how Chat and I are because that's your _normal_ state!"

Adrien watched, stunned, as Ladybug finished her thought with shining eyes. "And I've come to know you well enough that you deserve better than that. Someone as kind and sweet as you shouldn't feel isolated. And _definitely_ not so much that a little purple butterfly chases you down."

* * *

"You've... given me a lot to think about, Ladybug. In a very good way. I'm not sure what to say," Adrien stammered, smiling broadly. "But I'm _so_ glad that we talked."

"Just say that when you're feeling like life's standing on your neck, you'll text me or call me? Probably texting is better, first, to make sure I'm somewhere where I can talk," replied Ladybug with a smile. "Or some of your other friends. I bet that some of them are more approachable than you think."

They sat there for a moment, with big stupid grins on their faces, then leaned in for a hug.

"I will. I promise," he said. This time, he felt much more like the hug was mutual, friend-to-friend... not just for comfort. "And that goes both ways, Ladybug! If _you_ ever need someone to turn to, or talk to, or spend time with..."

"Be careful," she grinned. "I might just take you up on that sometime."

"I probably should be getting back," Adrien admitted, reluctantly. "But this really has helped me, Ladybug. Thank you so much."

"Any time," she replied. "It's what friends are for."

"Can I... ask a silly favor of you?" he asked. "When you drop me off... can you drop me off at my window, instead of the sidewalk? I'm pretty good at sneaking in and out, but I think I've had enough exercise for one night."

"Sure, I can do that." Mentally, Ladybug pictured the grounds of the Agreste estate. "Say... how _do_ you get down from there and over the wall, anyway?"

"Same way that someone slips notes into my bag without my noticing. Ancient Chinese Secret," he grinned.

That got a laugh from her. "Funny, you don't _look_ Chinese..."

* * *

Adrien slipped back into his room, and made sure that no one was watching before giving Ladybug one more wave. "Good night," she mouthed from the window, before launching herself into the evening.

 _*FWUMP!*_ was the sound he then made, as he planted himself flat on his back on his mattress.

"That was interesting," noted Plagg, flying over to join him. "Feeling a little better?"

"About six miles past overwhelmed," responded Adrien. "In about ten different ways. Mostly good."

"Can't blame you there," Plagg said. "That was a lot to digest."

"I'm just... I just learned more about Ladybug and how she thinks of me, as Chat _and_ as Adrien, in an hour than I had in... wow!" Adrien said, clutching his head. "It's like a missing puzzle piece in my brain just snapped into place. I'm going to be processing this all night."

 _When he finally figures out who Ladybug really is... that boy's brain is going to turn to guacamole,_ snickered Plagg to himself. _He thinks he's figured out the puzzle and he's barely got the edge pieces in place._

"But, first... before I sit here and make babbling noises all night," said Adrien, "I need to follow some good advice I just got."

"Which part? I heard a lot of good advice back there..." asked Plagg.

"The part about who's more approachable than I'd thought."

* * *

At home, Marinette covered her tracks carefully, putting her bicycle back in the garage and entering through the back door. "Hi, Mom," she called as her mother came into view.

"Hello, dear. How did it go?" Sabine asked.

"Very well, I think!" beamed Marinette. "It's mostly family stuff, from what I gathered. He may not fix it overnight, but now he knows he's not alone."

"Good, good!" her mother smiled. "Like your father said, if we can help, let us know."

"I will," said Marinette, heading upstairs, where she performed a _*FWUMP!*_ of her own.

"Ohhhhhh, that was such a relief," she sighed, for Tikki's benefit. "He has such a beautiful smile. It feels wonderful to be part of what made it come out of hiding."

"That went really well, Marinette," Tikki agreed. "And you were very perceptive about Adrien, I think." _In both his identities,_ she thought.

"You think so? I didn't want to, like, babble at him and have him go 'No, actually, I'm nothing like that...'"

"You saw it in his face, didn't you? How happy he looked that you were there, listening to his problems, and that you shared what you did? Just remember to silence that new burner phone you showed him," advised Tikki, "so he doesn't text Ladybug in the middle of class and hear ringing right behind him."

"That _would_ be a good idea," giggled Marinette, reaching for her phone. As she did, she heard a text-message alert...

...but not on that phone.

* * *

Marinette reached for her everyday phone, and her eyes widened...

 **[Adrien] I just wanted you to know that I'll sleep better tonight, after what you did for me today.**

 **[Adrien] Reaching out to me like that was amazingly thoughtful and sweet of you.**

Nervously, she typed back:

 **[Marinette] My pleasure. I'm so glad it helped.**

 **[Marinette] I didn't want to overstep my bounds, or anything, but you looked like you needed a friend.**

The response came, a moment later:

 **[Adrien] Can we make some time tomorrow, either before school or at lunchtime? I'd like to take you up on that offer.**

 **[Adrien] And you won't believe what happened to me tonight...**

 **[Marinette] Something good, I hope?**

 **[Adrien] Something _wonderful_.**

Tikki pondered just what it was that she was seeing. _How is Marinette managing to type_ **[Marinette] See you in the morning, then. Good night!** _with her eyes closed, her body curled into a ball and her mouth making little happy noises?  
_

 _Humans. Always full of surprises._

* * *

Next time:

* Processing lots of new information.

* A morning chat adds more.

* And speaking of Chat...

* "Perhaps we should throw them off the track a bit."

* Another shift in the wind.

And more...


	4. Learning How to Trust Myself

Someone To Watch Over Me, Ch. 4: Learning How to Trust Myself

* * *

 _Nnnnnngh,_ thought Marinette, smacking her alarm clock with her right hand. _It _can't_ be morning already._

Her second alarm clock, which was red and could float in mid-air, wasn't quite as easy to silence.

"Marinette..." murmured Tikki, trying to be gentle. "You need to get up now, Marinette."

"Nuh-uh," she replied, mid-yawn. "It's barely even light out. It's way too early to even consider physical movement."

"Well, that depends," her tiny friend grinned. "Today _was_ the day Adrien wanted to meet you before school and talk about things, but if you-"

Marinette's eyes opened wide...

 _Huh!_ thought Tikki. _I knew Marinette had many talents, but teleporting directly into her shower? That's a new one. That might have valuable Akuma-fighting uses._

* * *

At his house, Adrien went through his own morning routine, growing increasingly annoyed by what he heard in the background. Finally, he turned around and glared at Plagg.

"What?" asked Plagg, knowingly.

"You're laughing to yourself. You haven't stopped the whole time I've been up," accused Adrien. "What's so funny?"

"Oh... nothing. Just that _someone_ seems to be working quite hard at looking his best today," Plagg giggled. "I wonder why?"

Adrien just stared at him for a second, then returned his focus to his reflection in the mirror. "Maybe it's escaped your tiny head," he smirked, "but I _am_ a model. I do know my way around looking presentable without going overboard. Does it surprise you that I'm running a comb through my hair?"

"Can I ask you a question, then?" Plagg said, still grinning. "Just for the sake of argument."

"What is it?" grumbled Adrien.

"How often do you tuck in your white shirt, button it up and put your collar down when you're just going to school?"

That stopped Adrien in mid-motion. He considered what he saw in the mirror, and thought, _Well! I... am kind of dolling myself up, aren't I? What's gotten into me today?_

As he reached for the buttons, Plagg interjected, "No, no, I didn't say _don't_ do that! It looks good on you. Honest. You just had me wondering, that's all..."

Adrien allowed himself to smile. _Actually... m_ _e, too._

* * *

Tikki sat on Marinette's dresser, watching her host work feverishly. "You look _fine,_ Marinette," she assured her.

"Hmmmm. I'm not sure if I'm happy with the foundation I picked..." said Marinette, staring at her reflection. "Could you bring me the two on my vanity, Tikki, please? That way I can decide which one's right for today."

"Can I remind you of a couple of things, Marinette?" asked Tikki, as she ferried makeup back and forth. "Number one, this isn't a date. Number two, if he's going to get lost in anything, it's those big bluebell eyes of yours. And three... you're running the mile in gym class today. I'd go light on the makeup so you don't end up sweating most of it off."

She watched Marinette process her advice carefully. "Right! Right... um... That means the waterproof mascara..."

Tikki floated away, smiling to herself. _If that boy ever TRIES to win Marinette's heart... she's a goner._

* * *

"Okay, Plagg... distract me," Adrien said, making some final corrections to his wardrobe. "Help me process a couple of things that I learned last night."

"Sure, I'm game," volunteered Plagg. "Shoot."

"First, a big one. It sounded to me like Ladybug might be _single_ right now. That the boy she's crazy about isn't her boyfriend... he's her _crush._ Did you get that impression?" opened Adrien.

"It wouldn't surprise me," Plagg replied, suppressing a laugh. "I mean, a lot of human teenagers go through relationships like potato chips sometimes, one right after another... but I think Ladybug's a monogamous kind of girl. And if her crush for that guy is as big as yours is for her, it might be very hard for her to move on from it. If he ever _does_ respond to her that way... look out."

"Speaking of moving on from things..." said Adrien, looking a little more subdued. "I heard 'I can never date Chat Noir while I have a Miraculous' loud and clear. I really didn't _want_ to hear it at all. But this time, it sank in a little deeper."

"Uh-huh..."

Adrien frowned. "Does that mean that if I do - somehow - through a miracle - get to date Ladybug as myself... is that wrong? I mean, she wouldn't _know_ that I'm Chat Noir. But is that being unfair to her, like I'm _lying_ to her by not telling her, even though I'm not _supposed_ to ever tell her? Would one of us have to give up their Miraculous? Or _both_ of us? Or wait until we finally defeat Hawkmoth and maybe then, it'd be all right?"

"Slow down, slow down! I'm thinking," Plagg muttered. "That's a lot of questions, and they're tricky. Those might be some things to ask Master Fu about sometime. And maybe hold off until you think she might be _interested_ in dating you."

"I shouldn't think that... I know I shouldn't... but last night..." marveled Adrien, holding up his phone. " _She gave me her phone number_ , Plagg! Her _out-of-costume_ phone number, without my even asking for it! I'd have thrown myself into a volcano to get that. That has to mean _something_."

"It means she's really worried about you, for one thing," counseled Plagg. "Like I have been, lately."

"I know. And I appreciate that, buddy," smiled Adrien. "There's one more thing that did kind of trouble me about last night..."

"And that is?"

Adrien's face became thoughtful. "When I'm Chat Noir... or I have Chat Noir-ish things to talk about... Ladybug's there for me, but she's usually in a hurry after a battle and we don't have much of a chance to talk. Once in a while, I'll bounce over to Marinette's balcony and knock, and she'll hear me out... kind of like I'm about to do in a few minutes _without_ my ears on," he said, softly. "Plagg... I don't think Ladybug has anyone like that for _her_ to lean on."

"She has her Kwami..." offered Plagg.

"Just like I have you. And I may throw rolled-up socks at you sometimes, but I really do appreciate that you're listening," grinned Adrien. "Like right now, for instance. But without meaning any offense..."

"None taken," Plagg replied.

"...sometimes a human perspective really helps. As serious as she is about her secret identity, I'm sure she doesn't transform back and then tell all her friends about those things... Do you think she has a confidant, like I have in Marinette sometimes?"

"I, uh, wouldn't know," Plagg evaded. _This is creeping in on territory that I literally _can't_ talk about_ , he thought. "Maybe? Maybe not?"

Adrien let that thought hang in the air, pondering some things in his head.

 _If I didn't know better..._ he mused, _it sounded like my problems resonated with Ladybug because _she_ knows what it's like to be a little lonely, or at least isolated, and to bottle things up inside. To have things stuck within her that she just can't say out loud._

 _Maybe I'm not the only one who could use a little reaching out..._

He stood up, pocketed Plagg and headed downstairs quickly. It had taken a little persuasion for him to talk his bodyguard into getting up and taking him to school an hour early today; it wouldn't do to keep him waiting, too.

* * *

Tom let out a whistle as his daughter breezed into the kitchen, wearing a pastel blouse and mid-length skirt. "Good morning, Marinette. You look great today! Any special occasion?" he asked. "Grab a plate, while you're at it; your mother's minding the store, and it's my turn to sling some eggs."

"Not a _special_ special occasion, but... You remember the situation I was talking about last night at supper?" Marinette asked, to which he nodded. "Adrien messaged me last night to say that he would like to get together and talk about it, and rather than sitting up all night on the phone, we figured that we'd talk before school. So I'm getting ready for that."

"I see," he nodded, sagely. "And if you're going to play Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Girl Psychologist, you'd best dress the part, right?"

"Exactly!" Marinette giggled. "Actually, I'm bringing a change of clothes; I have gym today, and I'll switch over then. I just wanted to look, well... really nice for him today."

"Well, it's working," smiled her father.

* * *

Adrien hopped out of the sedan, and peered up the steps towards the front door of the school. _I don't see Marinette there,_ he thought. _Maybe she went inside, where it's warmer... or, more likely, I'm just way too early._

 _I can wait up there for her, I guess..._

A breeze carried the distinct aroma of morning croissants his way, and other thoughts left his mind momentarily. _Or..._

He leaned down into the sedan again, where his bodyguard was staring at him intently, as if to say, _Close the door already, it's cold outside!_

"If I was to go over to that bakery, while I'm here... is there anything I should bring home with me today?" asked Adrien.

The bodyguard looked surprised for a moment... looked over at the passenger seat, which due to the early hour was uncharacteristically empty... then made a small gesture to Adrien with a smile.

"Cream puffs, huh?" grinned Adrien, and the bodyguard's smile widened.

"You got it. A little gift for putting up with me this morning. I'll see you this afternoon."

The car pulled away. Adrien waited for traffic to clear, then hustled across the street.

* * *

Marinette listened politely as her father told her all about what dating was like in _his_ day, back when he'd just met Sabine and both of them were around Marinette's age. _I do appreciate your advice, Dad..._ she thought, stifling a yawn, _but this is the 137th time I've heard this story, and Adrien and I aren't even actually _dating_ yet..._

A text message on Tom's phone distracted him from recounting the days of yore. Taking a quick peek at it, he grinned. "Your mother asked me to tell you... when you leave for school, go out the front door through the bakery, not the back door."

"Oh? Does she need help with something?" asked Marinette.

"She didn't say. She just said that you'll definitely want to go that way today," shrugged Tom.

Marinette washed her plate and utensils off, quickly, then leaned over and pecked her father on the cheek. "All right, I'll go see what she means by that. Have a good day, Dad!"

"You too, sweetheart," he grinned.

* * *

Taking the steps two at a time, Marinette hurried downstairs. "Coming, Mom!" she called, knowing her mother could hear her in the shopfront. "What can I help you... with?"

"Oh, I think I've got it under control... I just had a very nice customer who was asking for you, that's all," Sabine grinned. She watched Marinette's face as it locked onto Adrien's, as he stood there with a couple of wrapped parcels under his arm... then Adrien's face, as he took in Marinette's arrival and forgot everything else in the room.

 _Oh, yes,_ smiled Sabine to herself. _Just a matter of time._

"H-hi!" said Marinette, once what she was looking at clicked in her brain. "I wasn't expecting to see you here... though it's a really _nice_ surprise! Yeah, it is!" Inside her mind, she kicked herself and screamed _Stop babbling at him!_

"I, um... well, I knew we were going to get together this morning, and I couldn't wait! I mean... sure, I could've waited, you're right on time, not that we set a time... but I know how good everything your parents make tastes, so I thought I'd get a few things to take home with me." Adrien looked equally off-balance. "You look fantastic today, Marinette," he added, to which her face radiated a silent _Thank you._

"His bodyguard _adores_ our cream puffs," hinted Sabine.

"I do, too! They're amazing," beamed Adrien, turning back to her. "I just don't get to eat them very often. I'm on a pretty strict diet at home."

 _"You?_ You're still a growing young man," Sabine frowned. "The last thing you need is to _lose_ any weight. You're already a rail!" She turned to her daughter, who was suppressing crimson cheeks with all her willpower. "You don't think he needs to be any thinner, do you, Marinette?"

"I have... no complaints about how you look. None," stammered Marinette, losing the blush battle rapidly.

"I wish I could take you both home with me to tell my father that," said Adrien, looking away a little shyly. "It's a constant battle around our house. 'You just don't understand what it means to represent the Agreste Design House, and how every calorie matters,'" he intoned, imitating his father's cadence.

"I'll tell you what, Adrien... any morning you like, you come over here and I'll sneak you a little something. A cream puff, a cookie or two, whatever you need," offered Sabine, conspiratorially. "We treat our good customers right around here."

"Oh, don't tell me that, Mrs. Cheng... you might find it very hard to get rid of me, with that kind of standing offer," smiled Adrien.

Sabine looked at her daughter with a grin, as if to say, _See? Trust your mother. She's working this for you._

* * *

"I really didn't rush you, did I? I didn't mean to," apologized Adrien, as the couple strolled down the sidewalk, in the general direction of the school but in no hurry to actually get there. In point of fact, they were meandering off-course somewhat, which was fine by Marinette.

"Not at all. I was on my way over to meet you... and then there you were," she smiled. "That saved a lot of time."

"How about over here?" gestured Adrien, pointing to a set of benches in a rough U-shape. She agreed, and they made their way over, settling down on the bench on the left.

"So... how do I begin this? I, uh..." Adrien wondered. "Well, I wanted to thank you again just for being here, and for reaching out to me yesterday. Those really mean a lot to me, Marinette."

"It's what friends are for," she beamed. "I know you'd do it for me, if I was having problems. So, tell me, what's troubling you this much?"

"Just between us? I know that I can trust you on that," he asked.

When she nodded, he began running down the things his father and Nathalie had been saying and doing, and how they seemed intent on slowly driving him insane. Marinette followed along, being careful to look surprised at the right moments, when things were said that Ladybug had heard but Marinette hadn't.

"I feel so bad for you, Adrien. And, like you said, there's no easy fix..." soothed Marinette. "I feel like I should've texted or called you, some of those late nights when I saw you were still up. Saw that your account was active, anyway, I'm not peeping in your windows," she giggled.

"Honestly? I would love that. The, uh, texting or calling, I mean! It's good to know that I have someone watching out for me." Thoughts of his 'guardian angel' popped into his head, and he made a decision. "Can I trust you with another secret, Marinette? This is a big one."

"My lips are sealed," she told him. _Unless you were to kiss them, very softly. That'd break the seal. Yep, I bet that it would. Perhaps we should test that out-_

"I... almost got Akumatized this week," he whispered, confidentially. "It came _this close_."

* * *

"Oh, wow!" gasped Marinette. "Only 'almost,' I hope? Did you actually see the butterfly?"

"Not until the very last moment," explained Adrien. "I was walking home by myself, angry and frustrated and beating myself up in my head, and I heard someone yell my name... and it was Ladybug. She snatched it out of the air, maybe two inches from my nose."

Once again, Marinette listened attentively to his story, reacting appropriately. "I don't know if I've ever been so scared in my life, Marinette," he admitted. "Not just because of the Akuma - I mean, that _was_ scary, but in the end, I know Ladybug would save me if it'd gotten me - but because of what it meant. That I'd fallen _that_ low." He gulped, looking rather emotional. "You and I and Ladybug are the only ones who know. I didn't even tell my father."

Marinette thought for a second... then replied, "It's not like that's some kind of badge of dishonor, Adrien... or that you're weak or damaged or something. You're only human! Look around our class today; everyone else there has been targeted at least once..." She paused, then added, "...Even me."

 _"You've_ been targeted, Marinette?" asked Adrien, momentarily shocked. "That's hard for me to imagine. You're the most positive person I know."

"Remember Zombizou, when Ms. Bustier got Akumatized?" she explained. "That one was meant for _me._ Ms. Bustier protected me, and it switched to her because of how scared she was for me that morning."

Adrien still looked incredulous. "I remember that day. That was when Chloé scribbled on your present for her, right?" He shook his head, remembering how it had gone. "Chloé racks up quite a body count, doesn't she?"

"She does... but it went after me, not her," reminded Marinette. "I let my emotions run away with me, and Ms. Bustier paid the price. And so did almost all of Paris."

"That wasn't your fault, Marinette," consoled Adrien, instinctively.

"And that's what _I'm_ saying. What you're going through right now _isn't your fault_ , Adrien. Getting targeted wasn't your fault. Your father and Nathalie being unreasonable isn't your fault. You're doing everything you can and then some to make things better... sometimes other people just won't let that happen."

She smiled at him, though misty eyes, and added, "But you always keep trying. I know you do. Because that's the kind of wonderful person you are, Adrien... you're someone who's so special to me... and I won't let you forget that. Not _ever."_

A little voice inside Marinette's head shrieked _Did you just SAY THAT out loud?_

* * *

In that moment, Adrien's mind... simply froze.

It was as if time stood still all around him. Adrien heard Marinette's soft voice, saw the yearning look on her face as she spoke, watched the emotions flowing out of her... but he felt as helpless as a child, unable to respond.

 _I should be kissing Marinette right now._

 _I NEED to be kissing Marinette right now._

 _Right now._

 _RIGHT NOW._

 _I should..._

 _RIGHT NOW!_

 _I should be..._

 _..._

 _Why am I not moving?_

 _Why, Adrien?_

 _I have no idea why I am not totally in love with Marinette Dupain-Cheng._

 _No idea at all._

 _...What is _wrong_ with me?_

* * *

The mist in Marinette's eyes increased as she watched Adrien lock up, sitting motionless, processing what she'd said with a stunned expression on his face.

 _He's... I'm not reaching him_ _,_ she thought. _I'm not getting through._ _I want to help him, so much, I'm trying so hard, but maybe I can't._..

 _Oh, God, I just poured my heart out at him... I couldn't stop myself... I just told him that he's so wonderful and special. Why don't you just scream "I LOVE YOU" in his face, Marinette? That's the last thing that he needs right now... for me to make his life even more complicated with my _stupid_ crush..._

The sight of tears running down Marinette's cheek jarred Adrien out of his emotional lockdown. "Hey, hey, _hey_ ," he gasped, reaching out and touching her face gently. _"Don't..._ I am _so sorry,_ Marinette. You asked me here to help me and I'm... just not..."

"It's okay, Adrien," she breathed. "I didn't expect you to just-"

"It's _not_ okay," he insisted. _"I'm_ not okay. But I'm better than I was... and _you're_ the reason for that, Marinette. Listen to me, please?"

Marinette wiped her cheeks dry, at least for the moment, and looked up at him with a puzzled expression.

"I am... I don't know _what_ I am right now. I've been on this total rollercoaster the last couple of days. I was at my absolute low point, and Ladybug saved me, and she comforted me, and then she checked up on me again, I didn't expect it at all, and she gave me her email and I sent one to her, and we met up last night, and I am _babbling_ at you about Ladybug and I'm so sorry..."

"It's fine, Adrien. Take a deep breath. I'm here and I'm listening. I'm here for you, no matter what," she sniffled. "Talk it out."

"Okay... okay." Adrien tried to settle himself. "My emotions are all over the place right now. I'm... numb, Marinette. Both the highs and the lows are overwhelming me and I don't know how to react to _anything_ right now. Including this incredible, beautiful, emotional girl next to me right now, who's so determined to help me. _Especially_ her."

Marinette forced a smile, seeing the beginning of one on Adrien's face, hearing his tender words.

"And the one thing that I do know... more than anything else... is that I _can_ _not hurt you_ , Marinette." He gathered what willpower he had left, and looked into her widening eyes. "I won't. Never on purpose, and I pray never by accident. And that means I have to get my mind straight before I try to figure out anything else... I can't trust my own reactions right now. My thoughts and feelings are all confused, and it's scaring me."

She nodded for him to continue. He did, and she swore that she saw That Smile on his face, the one that had stolen her heart long ago.

"I don't know if you're kind of telling me what I think you are... or if I'm reading that wrong... or if we're both caught up in the moment, but we don't have to figure that out right now, okay? But I want to make sure you know this, Marinette... you are _very_ important to me. You are trying so hard to help me... the way that you always do... and I don't have the words right now to tell you how much that means to me. What _you_ mean to me."

There was nothing else Marinette could do... other than lunge forward and wrap him up tight in her arms.

They remained like that for a short time, drawing strength from each other. "We're going to fix this," she whispered. "I don't know how. But we will."

"I know we will. I know that much."

* * *

They walked, hand-in-hand, up the steps of the school and to Ms. Bustier's classroom. Rose and Juleka saw them walking up together, and Rose looked like she was about to burst out in a squeal... but Marinette just smiled at her and mouthed _Not yet_ , silently.

Rose looked a bit confused. Marinette heard Juleka whisper "She'll tell us later" as they passed, and she smiled again. She said a silent prayer that Chloe wouldn't get in their faces today; dealing with Chloé's attitude and possessiveness was the very last thing either of them needed right now.

In the classroom, Marinette guided Adrien to his seat, gently. She squeezed his hand and asked him, "Are you going to be all right for now?"

"Yeah... thank you so much," Adrien whispered back. "Can we talk again later?"

"Count on it," she smiled, then walked up to her own seat. Nino gave Adrien a quick greeting, registered that only about eighty percent of Adrien was answering right now, and looked up at Marinette questioningly. Alya had a look on her face that screamed out _What the HECK did you DO to him?_ , but was polite enough not to ask it out loud.

"Just... be cool," Marinette whispered to them. "I'll talk to you later, okay? It's complicated."

As other classmates came in, Marinette was a little bit encouraged to see Adrien act a bit more like his normal self; greeting people, answering questions, maintaining a smile. _This is what he was doing before,_ she thought. _Putting up a brave shell. Acting like the normal Adrien would. And he's pretty good at it, too; enough to fool a lot of people, unless they know him well enough to know better._

 _But that's _so_ not where he needs to be._

* * *

Adrien spent the majority of Literature class giving Ms. Bustier a very specific look, one that he prayed that she recognized; _I'm here, I'm trying to listen, but p_ _lease, please, PLEASE do not call on me today._ Through the first half-hour of class, she appeared to understand, and gave him a sympathetic smile or two as she continued her lesson.

He tried to focus, but his thoughts were fragmented beyond repair. It probably didn't help that the cause of his distress - _wait, _that's_ not right, is it? She's not causing me any distress. Other than how terrible I feel that I distressed _her_ by being such a wreck right now_ , he thought - was close enough that he could turn around and touch her foot, if he'd wanted to.

Things inside him continued to simmer and bubble... until, finally, something had to give.

Adrien raised his hand, and asked, "Ms. Bustier? May I please use the restroom?"

"Of course, but try to be quick," she replied.

A few minutes passed... then a few more... and Marinette's concentration, also already fragmented, broke apart when Adrien didn't return.

 _I don't want to be paranoid... but I don't like this. I gave him one heck of a shock this morning. Maybe I should..._

She raised her hand.

* * *

Down in his lair, Hawkmoth stood, weighing the possibilities in his mind as he scanned his son from a distance.

 _Adrien is teetering on the edge,_ he thought. _His emotions are quite conflicted at the moment... enough for me to sense negativity, but not overwhelmingly so. I am pretty sure that I could target him successfully right now._

 _It's not a sure thing, however; I would have to monitor the Akuma carefully. His mind is not so much despondent, as... chaotic at the moment. Some good, some bad, mostly confusion and anxiety. Is this the right mix of emotion that my plans require?_

He paused, considering it further. _Am I tipping my hand by targeting Adrien again, so soon? Should I wait for a better opportunity?_

 _I must try,_ Hawkmoth thought, with a frown. _If I can capture my son without subjecting him to _complete_ despair, I will sleep better at night. If it strikes someone else first, so be it. And the response to the exercise might be revealing in other ways..._

Before he could change his mind again, he reached out for one of the white butterflies circling around him.

* * *

"Tikki, I'm _scared._ Did I do more harm than good this morning?"

Tikki did her best to ignore her surroundings. _We seem to do a lot of talking in the women's restroom these days,_ she thought.

"No, Marinette, I really don't think so," she soothed. "You were an amazing friend to him today and he clearly appreciated it. You were just what he needed."

"I went way too far," lamented Marinette. "I didn't mean to. It kind of slipped out."

"I don't know that _he_ thinks it was too far..." mused Tikki. "I think he understood what you meant to say by saying that. He's just trying to figure out how _he_ feels about it, and he can't right now."

"I'm just afraid that I made everything _worse,_ Tikki." Marinette's face was a jumble of emotions. "Now I'm just one _more_ thing for him to worry about. And if I ruin our friendship by pushing too hard..."

" _Marinette_ , _"_ insisted Tikki, flying up close. "Listen to me. You didn't throw yourself at him, or ask him to be your prom date, or declare your deep and undying love and ask him to marry you. And I know very well that you _could've_ done any of those... You showed him that you have very deep feelings for him, and I know that he's happy to know that! That he has someone like you looking out for him and caring for him. Like he said... you two can figure out if it's friendship or romance or both another time, when you're both ready for that. You were _honest_ with him, Marinette. That's never a bad thing."

"Then why is he probably sitting in a bathroom stall right now, wondering what to do?" asked Marinette.

"Why are _you_ sitting in a bathroom stall right now, wondering what to do?" replied Tikki. "You're taking some alone time to think things through. And I'll bet that's what he's doing, too."

"Part of me wants to call him and make sure he's all right... but I don't want to hover over him, either. Especially if _I'm_ one of his problems right now," Marinette said, hesitantly.

"Or you could wait and see how he responds. He asked you to talk to him again later, right? When you-"

Tikki's thought was interrupted by a vibration in Marinette's purse. "There, see? That might be him texting now," she smiled.

Marinette rummaged through her purse quickly, then stopped, turning slightly pale. "Tikki..." she whispered, "that was my _other_ phone."

* * *

 **[Adrien] Hi there... are you available right now?**

Adrien stared at the text he'd just sent to his newest phone contact.

"Don't look so worried, Adrien," said Plagg, nervously. "I don't think Ladybug gave you her phone number so that you _wouldn't_ use it."

"Sure, but the very next day? And I'm a mess inside already? What if she..."

Plagg just stared at him. "If somebody told you 'wait three days before calling,' they've seen too many movies. Relax, will you?"

Adrien sat still, lost in chaotic thought for a moment, until his phone beeped at him:

 **[LB] Hi! I'm around. I can text but I can't talk right now. What's up? Are you okay?**

"How do I phrase this..." Adrien muttered.

 **[Adrien] Kind of... kind of not? I met with a good friend this morning to talk, and I totally blew it. I'm afraid that I really hurt her.**

 **[Adrien] I'm all tied up in knots inside and I'm hiding in a bathroom and I'm afraid that... something might come for me.**

* * *

Marinette stared at her burner phone in disbelief. _"He_ blew it?" she marveled. "He's afraid that he hurt _me?_ When I'm the one who messed everything up?"

Tikki just smiled. _So meant for each other,_ she thought. _They both think of everyone but themselves first. What comes next may be hard on her... but I have faith that she'll get it right._

Marinette thought hard for a moment, then started typing.

 **[LB] Okay. Do this for me right now. Calm your thoughts. Deep breaths. Breathe in for five seconds, hold it for five, breathe out for five, repeat.**

 **[LB] Where exactly are you right now?**

 **[Adrien] My school. Men's restroom. Second floor west.**

 **[LB] Stay there. I'm closer than you know. Be strong for me, okay?**

 **[Adrien] I will. :) You're a real-life angel, you know that?**

 **[LB] I have my moments. :)**

"Well, Tikki, I may be about to learn something I hadn't planned on today... what a high school boys' bathroom smells like," sighed Marinette. "Spots on!"

* * *

Ladybug arrived at the scene, on the west side of the second floor, and considered her options. She was alone in the hallway, but that wasn't going to last for long; she was pretty sure that classes were about to let out.

She texted, quickly:

 **[LB] Does the room you're in have a window?**

 **[Adrien] Yeah, it does.**

 _Damn_ , thought Ladybug. _An Akuma could go right through that. So much for guarding the door..._

Before she could change her mind, she ran over to a nearby janitor's closet, which (to her pleasant surprise) turned out to be unlocked. Dashing back to the bathroom door, she texted:

 **[LB] Are you alone in there?**

 **[Adrien] I am.**

She slapped a sign on the door, reading RESTROOM OUT OF ORDER - BEING CLEANED, then slipped inside, locking the door behind her.

"Now, you're not," she said, quietly.

* * *

 _"Ladybug?"_ Adrien's voice hissed, from behind a stall door. "What are you _doing_ in here?"

"Hoping no one walks in with a cameraphone," she giggled. "How are you doing?"

"I'm... I can't believe you _came_ here like this, just because I... Ladybug, I'm sorry," he apologized. "You were busy with something where you couldn't talk and I dragged you away from that."

"None of that, you," Ladybug chided him. "I have a pretty simple rule about my life; Ladybug stuff comes first, people I'm close to come second, everything else waits its turn. And you qualify in both categories, so relax." She added, "But I also know you wouldn't exaggerate just to bring me here, either. You're pretty shaken up; I can hear it in your voice. So... I'm watching out for Akumas, and let's make the best of it together, okay? Stay hidden if you feel more comfortable that way. I've got you covered."

An errant part of her thought, _Gee, I sure hope he has his pants up behind that door._

"Okay," said Adrien, quietly. He paused, then asked, "So, do you, um... come here often?"

That got a laugh out of her, which she did her best to keep quiet. "First time, actually. Wow. You guys don't even have chairs or anything in your bathrooms?"

"Nope... ours are pretty Spartan," confirmed Adrien. "I guess we're not meant to come here and, like, hang out."

"It's not as bad as I imagined it might be, honestly," said Ladybug. "Just... well, you should try and get an interior decorator to work on it sometime."

Adrien chuckled at that. "I'll put it in the Suggestion Box in the lobby. But I'm sure you didn't come here for the aesthetics..."

"Not really... so let's talk about it. What's got you stressed out, Adrien?"

He took a deep breath. "This is... kind of complicated..." he began.

* * *

Ladybug leaned against one of the bathroom sinks, taking in Adrien's story, and thought to herself, _I am _dying_ here._

 _I need to be here for him... but I am absolutely DYING listening to him talking about the two of us, without being able to tell him how I feel or who I am!_

"So her eyes started tearing up... and my heart just broke in half, from what I'd just done to her," said Adrien, his voice growing shaky.

"Stop. Stop for a second, Adrien, okay?" Ladybug cut in, forcing the words out of her. "You hadn't just _done anything_ to her. She told you how much you truly mean to her, and she didn't lay any expectations on that. She didn't say 'I love you' or 'Be my boyfriend' or 'Please kiss me, right now,' did she? Maybe she _wanted_ to, but I can't speak for her. She'll have to tell you that herself if that's what she's got in mind. But I do know this much..."

She took a deep breath before continuing. "She thinks the world of you, Adrien. Even _I_ know that. How you feel about her is _your_ decision, and she understands that, too."

"Are you asking me how I feel about _her?"_ asked Adrien, not much above a whisper.

 _Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes, YES, YES, YES, I AM, YES, PLEASE, YES,_ "No, I'm not," Ladybug said. "Again, that's between you and her."

"Thank you... because even _I'm_ not sure any more." he replied.

That stopped Ladybug in her tracks. "Can you... explain that part?" she managed, unable to keep that from coming out.

* * *

Hawkmoth concentrated hard on the Akuma, which was busy dancing back and forth near a school bathroom window.

 _I was afraid of this. He's wobbling back and forth between emotional states. Every time he gets close to where my Akuma could strike, something calms him again._

 _I may have to abort this, before it gets noticed, or find another prey. Who or what could be in that room with him?_

* * *

"Marinette has always been a really good friend to me. Someone whom I can always depend on, someone I admire very much, someone who brightens my day every time that I see her. She's sweet, she's caring, she's cute, she's funny..." he began.

"I'm - er, Adrien, you think Marinette's _cute?"_ Ladybug stuttered, quietly.

"Of course she is! She's one of the most attractive people I know, inside and out," Adrien replied.

 _I am DYING over here. I am DEAD. Someone get a mop and wipe me off the floor,_ thought Ladybug.

"But I have had a... well, a _massive_ crush on someone else all year long. Someone who is kind of unattainable, way out of my league, but who just blew me away the very first time that I met her. Please don't ask me to say who that is, okay?" said Adrien, shyly. "And because of that, I never even... really thought about anyone else in any kind of romantic way. I was so focused on that girl that I was blind as a bat about anyone else. Very little even registered with me."

He laughed. "I guess I'm so used to keeping Chloé at arm's length, it became a habit. And that doesn't speak very well for me, does it? So it's only recently that I've even _imagined_ being with anyone else. And, well... with everything that's been going on at home, I'm wondering if I can trust _those_ feelings, either."

"But... they're not going away." Adrien paused, then added, "Can I tell you one other secret, Ladybug? You have to promise not to laugh at me."

"I promise," she said, catching her breath.

"I've... never had a girlfriend. I don't know how all of this works, to be honest." Ladybug's jaw dropped as Adrien continued. "I told you last night how little I've been around people my own age, all the things I've missed out on. That's definitely one of them. I'm learning as I go how these social cues work, and not very fast. Today, I wasn't sure just what Marinette was telling me at first... and I was terrified that if I misread it, I'd break her heart. And that would break mine! Or that I was reading too much into it, and that could hurt our friendship if I overreacted. But I... just don't know what I'm doing. Or even _why,_ lately. I'm just so confused."

"If the rest of my life wasn't such a dumpster fire right now, and I could _think_ clearly..." Adrien sighed, "I'd be willing to take some chances, learn how to flirt, and either tell my crush how I feel or... well, I don't know just what I'd do. But I'd _do_ something. When Marinette said those sweet things this morning... I just froze in place. I felt so terrible for her. She deserved an honest reaction, at least, and I don't know what mine is yet."

Ladybug looked over at the window, as a motion there caught her eye, and was horrified to see a purple butterfly dancing just outside the glass. _I have to get him feeling positive, and FAST!_ she thought, panicking. _I hope that he can't hear my yo-yo spinning..._

* * *

"I'll tell you a secret of my own, Adrien," Ladybug offered, the words spilling out of her. "I've been around people my own age all my life... and I've never had a boyfriend. Getting a relationship's not as easy as you may think it should be."

There was stunned silence in the room. "I... can't believe that," Adrien said, in a surprised voice. _"You?"_

"It's true! With the mask _or_ without. I can relate to you more than you think," replied Ladybug, startling herself with what she was admitting out loud. "I've had my own crush on someone for a year now... someone who stirred up feelings in me I wasn't used to having. And please don't ask me who _he_ is _,_ okay? We'll both keep from asking that question for now."

"More than fair," Adrien agreed. "Please, continue?"

"One minute, I wasn't sure that I even _liked_ him. Then he opened up to me all at once, he showed me the kind of person he was inside, and I just... crumbled," she admitted. "He's been on my mind every day since. I keep hoping that he'll start looking at me like that... but, so far, he hasn't."

 _Though what I heard just a minute ago makes me start to wonder about that, but I CANNOT think about that right now! This is about Adrien, not me._

Ladybug saw the butterfly begin to retreat, but remain close by. _Well, I've got his full attention, anyway,_ she told herself.

"Is he someone that you spend time with, as your normal self? Someone who's gotten to know you better?" wondered Adrien.

"He is... we've been getting closer, very gradually. We're definitely friends," she replied, watching her phrasing carefully.

"If he knows the real you... how can he _not_ have fallen for you?" asked Adrien.

Ladybug gasped...

* * *

...as did Hawkmoth, as the butterfly snuck through the window just far enough for his mind's eye to see inside.

"LADYBUG is with him? In there? Right NOW? This is _absurd_!" Hawkmoth roared, loud enough that Nathalie actually heard it upstairs, though she knew well enough not to investigate during one of his "private business meetings."

The situation left him standing there, actually laughing out loud. _Is she truly my inescapable nemesis? Is she magically empowered to appear wherever she is most needed, perfectly attuned to thwart my plans time and time again?_

 _Or... could there be a different explanation?_

"Fly away, my little Akuma," he called out. "This prey is too well guarded, it appears. Find a different target for me, someone without a scarlet guardian watching over him. Perhaps we should throw them off the track a bit... and make sure that Ladybug and Chat Noir understand that my reach far surpasses their grasp."

* * *

"I'm sorry, that was... not something I should have asked," muttered Adrien. _Dummy! Why don't you just throw yourself at her, while you're at it?_ he grumbled in his mind. _Right when she's telling you about the other guy she's in love with!_

"It's fine, Adrien," she said, keeping her voice steady. "I've asked the same question about him many times. And the answer's always the same; we love who we love. We can't 'win' someone, like a prize at a carnival. We can't convince them that they're wrong about their feelings. We can do everything just right and still not get to where we want to be, you know? We just have to... be our best selves around them, show them how much we care, and hope that they notice, that their feelings start to grow."

She heard a stirring behind the stall door... and then it opened. And there was Adrien Agreste, smiling at her.

"For someone who's never had a boyfriend... you might be the smartest person I know about love," he said.

"You need to meet more people, then," Ladybug blushed. "I'm flailing away at it just like everybody else."

 _That look that he's giving me_ , thought Ladybug, feeling flustered... _neither of us is ready to go there, but I don't know if I can resist if he..._

Abruptly, they turned towards a loud crash from somewhere outside the window, accompanied by screaming. "AKUMA!" was one of the words they heard.

"Oh, you have to be _kidding_ me _..._ " muttered Ladybug. "Well, at least I'm already here!"

She turned back to Adrien with a soft smile. "I'm kind of needed, Adrien. But I'm glad that I was here for you, and that the Akuma wasn't coming for you after all. Are you going to be all right?"

"Yeah. This was... _not_ how I expected my morning to go... but I wouldn't trade any of it," he beamed at her. "Not earlier, and not now."

"Listen," she added, laying her hand on his shoulder. "I hear what you're saying about figuring yourself out again before you start chasing anyone else... and that makes perfect sense to me. You need to heal, and I'll help you however I can. But when you do feel better and you turn on the charm, Adrien Agreste? Whoever it is that your heart desires is going to melt. I'm sure about that."

Adrien stared deeply into her bluebell eyes, wondering if he should act on his feelings, right then and there...

* * *

"But for now, duty calls!" Ladybug called, heading for the door. She blew him a kiss as she left... and she was gone.

Adrien stood still for several moments, dumbfounded, half in shock... but smiling.

 _That girl is going to be the death of me yet,_ he thought. _Every time I think I've got her figured out, she surprises me again._

Plagg popped out of his pocket, a bit wide-eyed himself. "That was... educational," he quipped.

"I'll say. And I went from having no idea what to do about my love life to having even _less_ of an idea what to do about it. But remind me to send Hawkmoth a thank-you card," said Adrien.

"And why would you do that?" asked Plagg, looking puzzled.

"Because he just sent me something big and ugly that I can _hit_ to take my mind off of things," grinned Adrien. "Plagg, CLAWS OUT!"

* * *

Next time:

* Chat Noir and Ladybug in action... and post-action.

* "I knew this day would come... I feared it, really."

* Mother knows best.

* "Well, as long as we're going to be there together, anyway..."

* "Knock, knock..."

And more!


	5. Stalkers and Starbucks

Someone To Watch Over Me, Chapter 5: Stalkers and Starbucks

* * *

Chat Noir dashed down the hallway of his school, heading for the back stairwell on the west side. _This'll be easier than trying to pop that bathroom window open,_ he thought. _Having looked at it,_ _I'm not sure if that window's been open since 1953. Come to think of it, that may be when the toilet paper dates from, too; I think I could use it as a book cover in a pinch._

As he ran, he grinned to himself, feeling better on a number of levels than he had an hour ago. _NOW I get to do what I do best,_ he smiled. _None of Dad's criticism in my ear; no anxieties about hurting my friends in my head. I get to be with my lady again and not make her worry for me this time._

 _Have I got plenty to think about? Sure... but that's for later. Right now, I'm all business._

He rounded the corner of the building and scanned the courtyard where Ladybug was facing off with the villain, straining hard to try to see what was going on there. _And from what little I can make out, business isn't looking very promising._

* * *

Ladybug covered her head as she turned in a defensive stance, still stinging from the two blows that'd connected so far. The villain had an irritating laugh and an even more annoying knack for staying just out of her range of vision; she'd caught glimpses of a greyish-black blur moving around her, but it slipped away time and again like quicksilver.

 _The costume is protecting me from being injured, as usual... but getting whacked from behind is still no picnic!_ she grumbled to herself.

"I don't suppose we could settle this with a nice game of chess, or something?" called Ladybug, trying to draw her out of hiding.

"It would be _so_ much easier if you'd just relax and let me take your Miraculous, Ladybug," she taunted back. "Though not nearly as much _fun,_ I'll admit!"

The voice danced around just as the figure did, obviously nearby but otherwise evading detection. _It sounds female, but is it... old? young? Somewhere in between?_

Ladybug crouched down and spun her yo-yo rapidly over her head, in a wide circle. _Maybe this will buy me some room to operate..._ she thought, as she turned to try to get a good look at who she was fighting. _I need to make her keep her distance until I figure her out._

She turned left, then right... and lying on the ground next to her, in a casually mocking pose, was a woman in a grey-and-black bodysuit and a black mask. "Mind if I join you?" she quipped, making Ladybug jump from surprise, and by the time Ladybug recovered her stance, the villain was gone again.

 _She could've hit me just then; she's toying with me!_ thought Ladybug. _Is she teleporting? Is she a speedster?_

"Who are you, anyway?" Ladybug called out. "I like to know who I'm sparring with."

"You can call me Blindside," teased a voice, still dancing from place to place. "That's where I spend my time; where you'll _almost_ see me coming. But when you do..."

Suddenly, the voice was right behind her. "...it's already too late," she cackled.

Ladybug felt hands at her ears, pulling at her Miraculous!

* * *

A baton cracked down across Blindside's wrists, making her yelp in pain. "Mind if I play through?" grinned Chat Noir. "You looked like you could use a helping hand."

"I need all the help I can get," Ladybug murmured, feeling around her ears and not sounding happy. "There's a _half-off sale_ at my favorite store this week, so I want to get out of here soon!"

Chat stiffened, hearing the code phrases they'd worked out after Troublemaker's attack. _Ladybug lost one earring, and needs to take cover!_

"Are you getting in on the _ground floor_ of that one?" he asked. "Or should I _take away_ something different from that?"

"I think _ground floor_ sounds good to me," said Ladybug. "Back-to-back! Let's cut off the angles here."

 _That means she's pretty sure it got knocked loose, but that the villain didn't grab it, so it's on the ground somewhere nearby,_ thought Chat. He assumed a defensive stance as well, extending his baton to a staff, going back-to-back with Ladybug and watching his half of the battleground carefully. "What are we dealing with here?" he asked.

"She's fast, she's really hard to see, and she doesn't like chess. That's all I know," gasped Ladybug, watching her detransformation energy beginning to form around her limbs. "Got any ideas?"

"I can't see her yet," mumbled Chat. "I see... and hear... something dancing around us. Wow, she _is_ fast. Can you see what you need yet?"

"N-no," replied Ladybug. "Think fast, Chat, I don't have much time..."

* * *

Hawkmoth sprang to full attention, witnessing Ladybug's distress. _"Excellent,_ Blindside! The battle's nearly won!" _For being a spur-of-the-moment second choice,_ he thought, _you might just be my most effective creation yet!_

"Keep your focus on Ladybug, as much as you can," he ordered her. "In a short time, her transformation will fade enough for me to see just who's under that cursed mask; if you can grab her other earring, we'll know all at once. And with Ladybug out of the picture, Chat Noir will be easy pickings."

"No problem, Hawkmoth," Blindside replied. "This'll be a piece of cake."

* * *

"Yiiiii!" cried Ladybug, narrowly dodging another swipe from Blindside. "Too... fast! That one almost got me."

She kept as low as she could, trying to spot her missing earring, but it wasn't leaping out at her. Looking at her arms, she saw about a foot of her civilian sleeves and pantlegs visible through the transformation energy, and its inexorable crawl wasn't slowing down.

"Turn around if you n-need to," Ladybug murmured, resigned to what would follow. "Saving your Miraculous is more important than my secret identity..."

"Or we could keep both," said Chat, confidently. "I'd prefer it that way." He spun around, his staff held protectively over the crouching Ladybug, and she looked up at him with worried eyes...

* * *

"Chat... you can't fight with your _eyes closed!_ " gasped Ladybug, seeing Chat's eyes shut tight.

With a quick "Shhh!", Chat silenced her. He stood quite still, in a martial arts stance, clearly focusing on his environment.

 _Every time she moves..._ thought Chat. _She's fast as lightning, but there's a slight sound with it. If I concentrate hard..._

 _...there!_

"DOWN!" he yelled, and Ladybug went prone by instinct. She covered her remaining earring with her hand, felt Blindside's hand grasping at it... then heard a staff whooshing through the air and a yelp of pain.

"A lucky shot," snarled Blindside, stepping back and darting away into relative invisibility. "But let's see you do that aga-OW!"

Ladybug looked up from her downed position, and saw Chat strike three times with his staff, twice in one general direction and once behind him. To her astonishment, all three hit, as if the staff was tracking Blindside's movement!

"How are you-" the voice gasped from yet another direction, then was cut off by a loud "WHUMPH!" as the staff tangled up her legs, sending her crashing to the ground.

 _These cat ears aren't just for good looks, lady... though they DO look good._

Chat stood over Blindside, his eyes now open wide, glaring down at her fiercely. Behind him, Ladybug couldn't help but stare in surprise, before resuming the hunt for her earring.

"Do you have any idea what I'm capable of, Blindside?" he asked, confidently. "What I could do to you right now, if I wanted to? How much power I truly command?"

"N-no... but I..." stammered the villain.

Chat's eyes continued to carve holes through the fallen woman... then, suddenly, his face changed to a grin and a wink. "Then be sure and tell Hawkmoth that _he_ doesn't know that, either," he laughed, flicking away any loose objects he found on her with his staff and testing them. The second one, her belt, emitted a purple Akuma once Chat's staff crushed the buckle.

* * *

Without turning around, Chat asked, "Ladybug, how are you doing?"

"Not very well," she called, nervously. "My earring is still missing... and my yo-yo is breaking up! Chat, I can't catch the Akuma like this!"

"Earring? You mean... this?"

Chat looked at the fallen villain, who had reverted to being a middle-aged woman whom he didn't immediately recognize. She looked up at him, confused, and showed him a red earring that she'd been holding in her right hand.

"YES! Ma'am, I could kiss you. May I have this?" he asked, taking it from her hand. He held it behind his back and yelled, "Ladybug, come quickly!"

He heard her running footsteps as he helped the woman to her feet. "I'm terribly puzzled. What just happened to me?" the woman asked.

"You were Akumatized, ma'am. Did something set you off just before this, making you feel angry or sad or depressed?" asked Chat.

"Well, I was crossing the street, and some _bozo_ nearly ran me over with his truck! Oh, he missed me by _that much!_ He claimed he couldn't see me coming, which is _ridiculous_. The traffic here has been miserable ever since they opened this up to two-way traffic. Back when I was in working at Beaumont's, they..."

Chat listened politely to the woman's lengthy ramblings as he felt Ladybug snatch the earring from his hand. A moment later, she called, "I'm good... but we're still in trouble!"

"All right, ma'am. Are you okay to continue on your way? Ladybug needs me," asked Chat, as gallantly as he could.

"I think so... Akumatized! Well! Wait 'til I tell Myrtle when I get home!" said the woman, who straightened her hat and began strolling down the street again, unfazed.

He turned, quickly, to see a panicked Ladybug next to him. "Chat... look up!" she said, pointing at the rapidly vanishing Akuma. "It's out of my reach. I can't jump that high, and I certainly can't fly. Any ideas?"

"Actually, I have one," said Chat, quickly. He got down in a crouch and interlaced his hands together. "Run up to me, jump onto my hands, and then jump as hard as you can just as I throw you. Like an acrobatic tandem leap or a cheerleader's basket toss. Normal people can send someone flying; imagine what we can do with _our_ combined strength!"

Ladybug considered it, quickly. "That... might work! You'll catch me, right?" she asked.

"Do you trust me?" asked Chat, and was rewarded with a very warm smile from Ladybug.

"Always," she grinned. "On three. One... two... THREE!"

* * *

Ladybug leapt up into Chat's hands, and thought as she leapt, _I sure hope that this works... YI-I-I-I-I-I-I!_

She soared through the air as if propelled by a rocket, and it took a couple of seconds for her to get her bearings. _WOW! We'll have to remember that move!_ she thought. _But first things first - did we get the right angle? Where's the Akuma at?_

Ladybug spotted it, a tiny speck up ahead of her in the sky but growing closer rapidly. _I'm only going to get one shot at this, and my timing will have to be precise..._

 _Annnnnnnnnnnnnd..._

 _NOW!_

With a desperate heave, she hurled her yo-yo... neatly plucking the Akuma out of the sky.

 _Great! That will save SO much trouble._

 _Now, there's the small detail of my flying through the air like a red-and-black meteor..._

"CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!" she yelled...

* * *

Chat Noir ran as fast as his legs could carry him. Hurtling through traffic, around buildings, through the back yard of a woman doing laundry... He remained polite enough to wave to the latter as he dashed past her, but his focus was on his plummeting partner.

 _Here she comes... just out of my reach!_

Desperately, Chat pushed himself into the strongest leap he could manage... and felt Ladybug's weight hit his waiting arms, their combined momentum redirecting them more sideways than Ladybug's previous trajectory. Wrapping her up as best he could, Chat grunted in pain as the pair tumbled down the street, rolling over and over, finally crashing to a stop through some shelves in front of a small grocery.

Chat caught his breath, shoved a pile of half-smashed apples and heads of cabbage off of them, and stared down at the dazed Ladybug beneath him. "Are you okay, my lady?" he asked, hesitantly...

The response was a sleepy-eyed smile... that quickly widened, and before he knew it, Ladybug had thrown her arms around his neck in a warm hug. "Yes... thanks to you," she replied, holding him tight in gratitude.

* * *

Chat had absolutely no complaints about the situation... but the grocery owner certainly did. "I hope you two are all right, but _look at what you did!_ " he moaned.

"I'm on it," Ladybug gasped. "Just catching my breath. Um... I never did use Lucky Charm, did I?" she asked.

"Not that I know of. You didn't have the chance to," agreed Chat. "Before you could think about it, your earring was off."

"Cross your fingers, then. LUCKY... CHARM!"

Ladybug tossed her hand upwards, and scarlet energy danced above her fingertips, coalescing into...

"A cup of coffee?"

Both Chat and Ladybug stared at it, a bit confused, until Ladybug smiled. "What I _think_ this is telling me, Chat... is that for saving me in the fight _and_ for saving me again just now, I owe you a cup of coffee at the very least. We're near a Starbucks, right?"

"Is there any place on Earth that's not near a Starbucks?" asked Chat.

"Perfect. How about I take care of this first... MIRACULOUS... LADYBUG!"

She hurled the red cup into the sky, hoping that it would work as intended... and the magic of the Miraculous did just that, zipping around the city repairing damage caused by the Akuma fight and its aftermath. _Apparently, the leap to catch the Akuma counts as close enough!_ Ladybug smiled. She watched as the grocery's shelving repaired itself, asked "...We're good?" to the owner, and grinned as he nodded appreciatively.

"Cool. Chat... how about you go get us a table? I'll head upstairs and freshen up, and let my Kwami recharge... and then I'll join you," beamed Ladybug.

"Er... right now? I kind of had this fight take me out of something," Chat pondered, remembering that this was all part of a bathroom break from school...

"Actually, me too... but, uh... I'll risk it if you will. Pretty please? I need to talk to you about something," she pleaded, gently. "But I'll understand if you can't."

 _Who am I kidding?_ thought Chat. _It's not like this is my first extended bathroom break for Akuma reasons, and if I'm lucky, the class'll have gone for cover during the fight and I can claim that I got redirected in the confusion. And Ladybug wants to socialize after a fight? That's totally not like her. This must be something important..._

"Bugaboo... it's a date," he grinned, then backtracked a bit. "Okay, not a _date_ date. You know what I mean."

"See you in a few! Order me a caffè mocha, and I'm buying both of ours when I get there," waved Ladybug, leaping up to the roof.

* * *

Nathalie expected to find Gabriel in an extremely foul mood as he ascended from his hidden lair... she readied herself for an explosive outburst. She was somewhat flabbergasted to see him not only not furious, but smiling.

"What happened?" she asked. "You did _not_ sound happy down there. Did... you win, somehow?"

"You should know better than to even ask that question, Nathalie," Gabriel replied, with a small smile. "Walk with me, please. I have some theories about what I just witnessed, and I would greatly appreciate your assistance as my sounding board. I trust your judgment as to whether I am on the right track, though I am sure that I am."

"As you wish," Nathalie replied, joining him in a walk to his private office at the rear of the mansion.

* * *

Atop the grocery store, Ladybug called, "Spots off!" and plopped down on the roof. "Whew!" Marinette panted. "THAT was a rush."

"A very near miss is what it was," noted Tikki, as she accepted a macaron from Marinette. "A handful of very near misses, actually. Do you want to talk about it before you and Chat talk about it?"

"I think I'm all right... I mostly just want to talk with Chat about Adrien. Chat knows him, too; maybe he can help me keep an eye on him," replied Marinette. "Also, he was _awesome_ back there against Blindside and he needs to hear that from me."

"Oh, I agree! If he hadn't been there, you'd have been in deep trouble. That was a clever gimmick Hawkmoth came up with," said Tikki. _And for someone who'd just run through two dozen emotions in two hours, then had his crush rescue him from a bathroom stall... he did absolutely fantastic,_ she thought to herself.

* * *

"In comic books, Superman is the definitive archetype of the superhero," began Gabriel. "He is generally invulnerable... as my tiny nemesis seems to be, all too often... but his friends and family are anything but. How does he work around this?"

Nathalie's face fell. "I knew this day would come... I feared it, really," she replied.

"I beg your pardon?" asked Gabriel, looking rather puzzled.

"You're taking cues from comic books. You're going to shave your head bald and start dressing in bright purple and green," lamented Nathalie. "I do _not_ look good in that shade of purple, Gabriel."

Her employer chuckled, appreciating her joke. "Allow me to ease your troubled mind, Nathalie," he smiled. "My won-loss record may be similar to Lex Luthor's. My fashion sense is _immeasurably_ superior."

"Fair enough," Nathalie replied, smiling as well. "So how does this relate, then?"

"Jimmy Olsen was one of Superman's most endangered friends. He had enough wit and curiosity to get himself into trouble over and over again. So Superman gave young Mr. Olsen a signal watch; should he find himself in mortal peril, he had only to press a button to emit a frequency and alert Superman to come and rescue him," Gabriel continued. "And I suspect, after today's encounter, that we find ourselves in a somewhat analogous situation."

Nathalie held her hands out, silently asking, _Which is?_

"The other day, I sent an Akuma out after Adrien. Before it could touch him... Ladybug came to his defense and captured it. Coincidence? I wondered about that. Just now, I sent a second one after Adrien. My son was emotional and troubled, hiding in a school bathroom, all alone. And yet, when my Akuma got near him, who was standing two meters away, protecting him like a lioness with her cub?"

"Ladybug was there _again_." Nathalie began to see the light. " _Before_ Akumatization. When she should have no idea that it had even taken flight."

"Precisely!" smiled Gabriel. "What does this suggest to you, Nathalie?"

She put the facts together in her head. "That... Adrien may have some method of contacting Ladybug. Or contacting Ladybug's secret identity, whether he knows it or not... or both? And that she is close enough to him, both geographically and relationship-wise, to come running when he calls and to arrive in the nick of time."

"I concur," Gabriel agreed. "It is possible that after the first attempt, she decided to simply follow him around in case I would target him again... but that seems unlikely. It is more probable that he made a phone call, or sent a text message, or was given some signal device by Ladybug. I suspect the latter; Ladybug is sophisticated enough that she wouldn't just give him her _phone number,_ even if today's adolescents seem to live and die by their cell phones."

"Should I attempt to get more information from him, and see what slips out?" asked Nathalie.

"No, not yet. We have too many gaps to fill in this narrative before taking action," cautioned Gabriel. "We do not know how much Adrien knows about Ladybug, or how close they actually are. It is certainly possible that he is largely innocent in this matter, in which case we would resume our original plan."

He folded his hands, with a sinister smile. "But should it turn out that he has a substantial connection with Ladybug, a close friendship... or potentially more?" he smirked. "What... _interesting_ possibilities that might have!"

* * *

Ladybug entered the Starbucks, a little nervously. _I hope that the customers don't mob us! Maybe this wasn't the smartest place to pick, out in public like this..._

To her surprise, the barista waved her over as she entered, matter-of-factly pushing forward cups labeled LADYBUG and CHAT. Ladybug paid for the drinks and carried them over to a back table, where Chat greeted her with a smile.

"That was surprisingly normal..." ventured Ladybug, as she took her seat.

"I told the staff that we were cosplayers from a convention up the street," explained Chat. "They see that kind of thing all the time around here. The barista liked my outfit, but gave me a couple of tips on making it more realistic."

Ladybug giggled loudly at that. "Well, she would know, right?" she laughed. "I've considered some alterations to my own suit once in a while. Maybe working in some black panels to add a little contrast."

Chat considered the mental picture. "I like that idea! And maybe some ornamental wings on the back..."

"Oh, yeah. Something else for villains to grab onto. Great idea," mocked Ladybug. "I still don't know how you don't get your tail yanked on a regular basis..."

"Fastest hips in the business," grinned Chat, shaking his rear in his seat, getting an eye-roll and a small laugh from his lady. "Thank you, by the way," he added as he picked up his cup.

"Thank YOU!" she replied, very warmly. "You were incredible back there with Blindside, and you saved me _twice!_ I was in real trouble. It's a good thing that I have the best partner I could ever ask for."

"As if I could ever let you come to harm," replied Chat, softly.

"It's appreciated, Kitty. I need to let you know that more often, I think, because you deserve it," Ladybug said. "That was one reason I asked you here today. The other is someone we both know. You're friends with Adrien Agreste, right?"

* * *

"Are you all right, Chat?" asked Ladybug, watching Chat choking slightly on some mis-swallowed coffee.

"Y-yeah... m'okay... a little just went down the wrong pipe," he gasped, regaining his composure. Once he got his breath back, he replied, "Yes, I know Adrien. We don't, like, hang out together, but we've crossed paths. He's a good guy."

"He really is; he's one of my favorite people. But right now, he's hurting... badly," replied Ladybug, in a sad voice. "You were very nearly fighting him just now, instead of Blindside."

"That bad, huh?" asked Chat, taking another sip, trying hard not to let his face betray anything. _This is crazy!_ he thought. _First I talked with her about Chat as Adrien, and now about Adrien as Chat! Sometimes I've wondered if she's ever thinking about me, but this is bordering on surreal..._

"It's bad. I don't want to say too much, I was told about it in confidence... you understand?" she said, hesitantly. "But he's had two Akumas aimed at him this week, including the one we just fought, over issues he's having at home. I was really lucky that I was nearby both times; I caught the first one, just before it got him, and talked him down the second time."

A realization hit her, and Chat watched her face fall. "Oh... that wasn't very smart of me just now. I should've let the Akuma get closer and tried to catch it; instead, I was so wrapped up in protecting Adrien that I let it get away, and it hurt someone else!"

"Honestly? I don't think that lady minded all that much. From the way she reacted afterwards, I think she enjoys having the story to tell!" smiled Chat, trying to make her feel better. "It was a judgment call. And we won the fight, just like we always do."

"I know... but I should be better than that," Ladybug moped.

Chat took another sip of his drink, and weighed his words carefully. "Adrien's... someone you care about, isn't he?" he ventured.

* * *

Ladybug looked up at Chat and tried hard to judge if there was any hurting or jealousy behind what he'd asked. There didn't seem to be, but she still felt that she needed to be tactful.

"I don't make a lot of friends as Ladybug. I meet lots of nice people, but it's rare that anyone gets past the surface with me, because of the identity thing. I mean, look at us!", she pointed out. "You're very dear to me and we've never even done _this_ before. Maybe we should make this more of a habit."

"I wouldn't complain," smiled Chat. "Though I understand that fight's-over, only-have-less-than-five-minutes, gotta-run feeling, too."

"Yeah," she agreed. "Anyway... I've met Adrien several times, and he's definitely a friend. He's very sweet, and it kills me to see him hurting like this. It almost makes me hope another Akuma hits his father, just so I'd have an excuse to knock some sense back into him."

"I know that feeling," mumbled Chat, then realized Ladybug was looking at him strangely. "My father and I have... some issues, too," he explained.

"If _you_ ever need to vent..." offered Ladybug. "Whatever you can say without giving away your identity, I'd be here to listen."

"I appreciate that. If it gets to that point, I might take you up on that." Chat gave her a sincere smile. "That's why _I_ have the best partner I could ever ask for."

"I bet you say that to all the Ladybugs," she grinned. "But anyway... just something to watch out for. Any time we can stop one of these Akumas before it starts, that's a good thing, right? So if you happen to talk with Adrien, do what you can to give him a boost, okay? He could use all the friendly faces he can get right now."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for the heads-up," said Chat. He finished off his drink and added, "I probably should head back to... where I was... but I really liked just hanging out with you as friends, Ladybug. Can we do this again another time?"

"I'd like that," Ladybug said, a little shyly. "We'll work something out, okay?"

* * *

The heroes left the coffee shop and headed off in different directions. Ladybug headed to the back of the school, transformed back, and slipped through the door.

 _It's later than I thought,_ she grimaced. _I bet I'm in trouble._

She made her way down to the hallway where Ms. Bustier's classroom was... and ran into Adrien, heading to the same place from the opposite end of the hall. Both of them stopped in their tracks as the situation became clear.

"H-hi!" he called, nervously. "What are you doing here? Are you all right, Marinette?"

 _Think fast, Marinette! You shouldn't be here now, and you shouldn't know where he was earlier!_

"I... _are you all right,_ Adrien? I saw you leaving class, so I went looking for you... then there was an Akuma, and I was so worried that it was aimed at _you_... and then I couldn't find you afterwards..." she stammered, trying to seem convincing. "If what we talked about earlier had caused it, I don't know what I would've..."

"No! Trust me, it wasn't that," he assured her, concern obvious in his eyes. "Talking with you today is probably what _kept it_ from coming after me, Marinette."

Inside, she smiled a little at that. _If only you knew how true that was, Adrien._

"But I _was_ worried about you... I thought that I might've really hurt you this morning," he continued. They sat down together against a wall outside the classroom for a moment. "You were so caring with me, so honest, and there I was, a big lump barely reacting to you."

"And you can stop that right now, Adrien," she replied, with a flash of spirit. "I know how numb and hurt you're feeling; that's why I reached out to you in the first place. And we said we weren't going to try to... figure things out yet, right? Not until you're yourself again."

"That's probably the smart way. Not that I always do things the smart way," smiled Adrien.

* * *

The bell rang, and students came flying out of the classrooms around them. "Maybe we should get our stuff and talk about things later, before we miss any _more_ class time," offered Marinette, to which Adrien agreed.

The pair entered Ms. Bustier's room, shyly... and found their belongings set aside on a table on the far side of the room. Their teacher looked up at them with questioning eyes. "Are you two okay?" she asked, quietly.

"Yeah... I think we are," Adrien said, gathering their things up. "I'm sorry I disappeared like that. I had some things in my head that I had to work out."

Marinette blurted, "And I knew about them, and I felt like I needed to help."

"I understand that. But I also need you to understand that bailing on three classes in a row isn't acceptable behavior," Ms. Bustier replied, calmly. "I could write both of you up for three days' detention, but I'll knock it down to one, because it was for a good cause. But the next time you need some time like that, come to me, don't just disappear, okay?"

"Thank you. That's more than fair," nodded Adrien. "And I will next time."

"Are you all right with that, Marinette?" her teacher asked, giving her a meaningful glance.

"I am," she answered. "I did the crime, I'll do the time."

"Good. Now, scoot, before your next teacher isn't so understanding," Ms. Bustier smiled.

* * *

Out in the hallway, Marinette and Adrien looked at each other. "I'm sorry that I got you into this..." they both said at once, then shared a laugh.

"I think it was worth it," Marinette smiled.

"I agree," said Adrien. "And now we get an extra hour after school tomorrow to, er, not figure things out yet."

Marinette giggled, "Well, as long as we're going to be there together, anyway... that sounds like a plan."

They waved, each heading off to their next class before the bell rang again...

...and Marinette let out a long breath that she felt like she'd been holding in all morning.

* * *

A few hours later, Marinette arrived home. She greeted her father in the bakery as usual, then went upstairs.

In the kitchen, her mother was sitting at the table, with a magazine in one hand and a cup of chamomile tea in front of her. Another cup was in front of the seat across from her, steam still coming off of it.

"It's like you _know_ me," smiled Marinette, taking a seat.

"After fourteen years, shouldn't I?" her mother chuckled. "How did it go?"

Marinette thunked her head down on the knit placemat in front of her, lightly. "Some of it, very well. Some of it, I need a vacation."

With her mother's encouragement, she began a somewhat-edited version of her morning...

* * *

"I _can't believe_ that I _told_ him that," lamented Marinette. "Not now! But it just slipped out."

"What you told him," her mother noted, "sounds like something that he already knew. That he's very dear to your heart."

"But how would he..." Marinette began, then nodded. "Yeah, he _should've_ known that and more by now, even if I've been too scared to say it plainly... and I only kind of half-said it today. And his reaction... Mom, it was the strangest thing."

Sabine nodded for her to elaborate.

"When I told him to his face how wonderful I know he is... I think I hit him with an emotional truck. He just... locked up. And I get that; like he told me a moment later, he's overwhelmed by everything right now, and I hadn't even meant to do that to him," continued Marinette. "But then when I started tearing up... it was like a light switch flicked on in his head! He was right next to me, so concerned, so sweet, saying such wonderful things to me. He responded so strongly, right after not just saying that he couldn't but _showing_ that he couldn't!"

"If he stops and thinks about it... he's not sure how he feels. If he sees you in distress, he _knows_ how he feels and he _acts_ on it. I know what that tells me," her mother replied.

"What's that?" asked Marinette, suppressing a sniffle.

"That he's fourteen. And he's still learning how to do all of this, just like you are."

 _And that I'd better get used to setting an extra place at the dinner table,_ Sabine thought. _Because it's only a matter of time before these two will be inseparable..._

* * *

"Detention?"

Nathalie's voice sounded equally surprised and annoyed.

"It wasn't my fault, really. I got separated during the Akuma attack, and -" Adrien tried to explain.

"Detention..."

"It's only an hour."

"You do realize what your father's going to say, right?" asked Nathalie.

"If you tell him."

"Of course I'm going to tell him!" snapped Nathalie. "Why would I not?"

 _Not_ _NOW_ , Adrien grumbled, internally. _I'm riding the emotional rollercoaster again, can't you see that, Nathalie? I just had another absolutely insane morning!_

 _I bared my soul to a friend and then hurt her feelings. I don't care what Marinette said, I know that I did, and she's determined not to admit it to spare MY feelings. I only escaped an Akuma because Ladybug dropped everything and came and talked me down in a high school bathroom. I saved my lady, feeling like I did something right for a change, I got to sit down and just spend some pleasant time with Ladybug for once, and even my teacher was understanding. And my reward is to come home and get snapped at, AGAIN, with a promise of so much more to come and nothing I can say can stop it?_

 _Nuts to THIS._

"Because it's one hour out of my day?" sighed Adrien, wearily. "Because I'm fourteen years old, and I'm allowed to make a mistake once in a while, even though this time I really don't think that I did? Because I had an AKUMA come after me today? Did you know that? How about this? Because I _really don't care_ right now whether you tell him or not, but if you don't, we'll have a little less yelling in this house for a change?"

Nathalie stared at him, stunned by the uncharacteristic anger and defiance building up in Adrien's voice. She struggled for a response...

"How about if _I_ tell him?" a voice intoned, as footsteps echoed in the hallway. "Perhaps that would save quite a bit of time."

Adrien didn't even look up in his direction. "Yes, Father, please do that. That'd be lovely."

"You will remove that sarcasm from your voice _immediately,_ Adrien," Gabriel ordered.

"Or?"

Nathalie took a step back, with an _Oh-h-h-h-h!_ look on her face. _This is unprecedented,_ she thought.

 _"Or?"_ Gabriel repeated, with an intense stare. "This is your intention, then?"

"I didn't _intend_ for any of this, Father... but I know what's inevitable right now. I can smile sweetly and get yelled at, or I can sulk and get yelled at, because once again I was less than utterly perfect. And with the day I've had, I'd rather sulk."

Gabriel stood silently for about ten seconds. When he spoke, his voice wasn't much above a growl.

"Yes, you _will_ be yelled at. No, I have not decided yet whether it should be _now_ or _later._ So, while I am making that decision, go to your room. Leave your computer and your phone off; this will not be playtime for you."

Without a word, without looking directly at his father, Adrien stomped out of the room and began marching up the stairs. At the last step, a voice thundered through the room.

"ADRIEN!" his father shouted.

Adrien turned and looked back at his father, expectantly...

"I have decided. It will be _later."_

Gabriel turned away and faced Nathalie, waiting patiently for the sound of a door slamming. He was not disappointed.

Nathalie exhaled loudly, looking frustrated. "I am not enjoying any of this, Gabriel," she muttered. "I understand the need, but this house is becoming a pressure cooker."

"I know," Gabriel grimaced. "One way or another, this must end soon."

* * *

Marinette made it through dinner in one piece; still worried about Adrien, of course, but both parents understood her reasons for her crime against school truancy rules. "I don't know how the bakery will survive without you for an hour..." moaned Tom, until Sabine elbowed him in the ribs and got them all laughing instead.

After dinner, the family was watching television together when Marinette's phone beeped:

 **[Adrien] Just wanted to let you know... if I'm not in school tomorrow, there's no reason for you to worry.**

"Uh-oh," Marinette gulped. "Something's up. Do you mind if I..."

"Go, by all means," Tom smiled. "Tell him we said hello."

Upstairs, Marinette plopped down on her bed, suspecting that this might take a while.

 **[Marinette] And why is that?**

 **[Adrien] I just got an earful about tomorrow's detention. If he's that mad about it, maybe I'll just be somewhere else tomorrow.**

 **[Adrien] And see what he thinks about that.**

Marinette turned to Tikki and showed her the conversation. "I don't like the sound of this," she told her Kwami.

"Me, neither," Tikki said. "He's more angry than depressed now, it sounds like, but that's still setting him up to be targeted."

 **[Marinette] I'm not going to tell you what to do... but don't you think that might make things worse?**

 **[Adrien] Very probably. But right now I don't really care.**

 **[Adrien] I just don't want _you_ to worry, okay? I'm not running away from home or anything. I promise I'll keep in touch.**

"What do you think, Tikki?" asked Marinette. "Anything we should do to stop this? I understand his mood, but I'd love to improve it."

Another message came in:

 **[Adrien] I'm supposed to have my phone off, but I needed to let you know before Daddy Dearest takes it away.**

 **[Marinette] Just be careful, okay? I'll be watching this like a hawk, in case you need a lifeline.**

 **[Adrien] You are always _so sweet_ to me. I do notice that, just so you know.**

There was a pause... followed by something else Marinette wasn't expecting to read:

 **[Adrien] ...Wish you were here.**

With a little gasp - _he DOES?_ \- she typed back:

 **[Marinette] Me, too.**

* * *

Marinette turned to Tikki, with a determined expression. "You do know that you're not going to stop me, right?" she said.

"On the contrary... I'm going to help you," replied Tikki. She laughed at Marinette's surprised face. "What, you didn't think I'd agree that Adrien needs a friend _right now?_ And there's only one way for us to get you to him tonight."

Quickly, Marinette packed a small bag with a few light supplies, then grinned at Tikki. "Operation: Where Did That Come From is ready to go. Tikki... SPOTS ON!"

* * *

Adrien shut his phone off, then handed it to Nathalie, standing there with her hand out to receive it. "You'll get this back in the morning," Nathalie explained. "You brought this on yourself, you understand?"

"Sure. Whatever." He slumped down in his desk chair. "Do you want to pull the computer's power cord out, too?" he asked, snidely.

"All right, Adrien. _Maybe_ you'll get this back in the morning, at the rate you're going," frowned Nathalie. "And, no, I won't go that far, but I'll trust you not to turn it on. Play fair with me and I'll play fair with you."

"Uh-huh. Good night, then," Adrien muttered, as Nathalie walked out the door and closed it behind her. He paused for a moment, then snarled, "Do you believe this, Plagg? It's like I'm six years old again."

"You told your dad off when you were six? Huh. I didn't picture that," mused Plagg.

"Ha, ha. He acted more like a father back then." Adrien stood up, aimed a half-hearted kick at the chair and sent it skittering a short distance, then walked over near the foosball table. "I'm tempted to transform and go out that window right now, and not come back until I feel like it."

"Well, um... I kind of think they'll be checking on you tonight, just to make sure your computer's off, right? That's a good way to get them even madder. Your dad might put bars on the windows, or something like that," Plagg replied. He started to add something else... but stopped himself, blinking, trying to make sure that he was seeing what he thought he was seeing behind Adrien's back.

 _Is that... TIKKI?_

Plagg tried not to be overly obvious about it, while following Tikki's flight path with his eyes. She looked at him and mimed _Shhhh!_ with a finger to her lips, and busied herself placing some small objects around the room.

"What is it, Plagg?" Adrien asked. "You look... distracted."

"Me? Nah. I'm, er... um... just thinking about your piano playing. You could get some practice time in, while you're doing nothing," Plagg grinned.

Adrien looked at him, looking disgusted. "You really think I want to practice my piano _now_? Maybe get my next sonata just perfect, and make Father _so_ happy? And what's so _funny_ , anyway?"

"Just... go play your piano, Adrien," said Plagg, doing his best to keep a straight face but failing.

* * *

"Fine," shrugged Adrien, still looking disgruntled. "If you say so. Plagg, you may be a fountain of wisdom from ancient times, but sometimes you just don't make any... sense?"

His voice trailed off, anger turning into wonder...

Resting on the keys of the piano, he found an assortment of tiny squares of paper with colored pencil drawings on them. Some of them were smiley-faces, some were little hearts... and the rest were ladybugs, no two exactly the same.

"What in the _world?"_ Adrien marveled.

Plagg took the opportunity to make a beeline for Tikki, whom he found hiding behind the globe near Adrien's bed for the moment. "Tikki?! What the heck are you _doing_ here?" Plagg hissed, as quietly as he could.

"Getting Adrien out of this foul mood, any way we can!" whispered Tikki.

"We?" wondered Plagg, before his eyes lit up when Tikki gestured at the row of outside windows, one of which was slightly open. "Oh! Oh oh oh! I got it."

"Do you want to help?" asked Tikki.

"To mess with Adrien? Of _course!_ This'll be funny as hell," he grinned.

"Good! Cover for my movements, then take cover yourself!" Tikki smiled, then darted across the room. "You might have company soon."

* * *

Plagg flew up next to Adrien, admiring Tikki's handiwork.

"Plagg... what did you _do?"_ Adrien asked, dumbfounded. He picked up a couple of the tiny drawings, seeing that they were all hand-made.

"I didn't _do_ anything," swore Plagg. "You've seen my handwriting, or lack thereof. Do you think I could, or _would_ sit around drawing little hearts and ladybugs for you?"

"No, that wouldn't be like you at all," reasoned Adrien. "But then... where the heck did these come from?"

"Good question. I thought I was the only thousands-of-years-old spirit in this house," Plagg offered. "Is anything else around here different?" He looked over towards the dresser, then gasped, "Why, yes! Something is!" a bit too theatrically.

Adrien followed Plagg's eyes to his dresser, and scanned it quickly... He laughed out loud when he found a paper label stretched along the bottom of his mirror, with an arrow pointing upwards and the phrase INSERT AWESOME HERE next to it.

"Is this... Plagg, is this some secret power of Ladybug's that I didn't know about?" He paused briefly, with a pleasant realization. "Or is she _here_ somewhere?"

Quickly, his eyes darted to all corners of the room, then up around the ceiling. He opened his closet door, then rummaged under his bedsheets. Unsurprisingly, as with most teenage boys in his situation, searching his room failed to turn up any teenage girls in skintight outfits waiting for him.

Plagg zipped into Adrien's shirt pocket, quickly. "What are you doing?" Adrien asked.

"Getting out of sight, in case she _does_ turn up!" the Kwami replied.

"Good thinking," said Adrien. He got up from looking around the bed... and there, on one of his pillows, he found a small, folded-up note with a ladybug sticker on it.

* * *

 _How is she DOING this?_ Adrien wondered to himself. _And how do I get her to keep doing it?_

He unfolded the note, and read:

 **Dear Adrien,**

 **I was thinking about you and how our morning went today, and how much happier you looked after we talked. I'm so glad that I could help you get to a better place, because that's where I need you to be. The world is so much dimmer without your warm smile lighting it up.**

 **Pleasant dreams, I hope!**

 **Watching over you,**

 **\- LB**

* * *

Tikki zipped out the window and down to an eagerly awaiting Marinette. "Did it work?" Marinette asked, anxiously.

"Like a charm! He went from kicking his desk chair to full pink clouds in sixty seconds," grinned Tikki. "You _have_ to see his face!"

"You know, I think I will!" smiled Marinette. "Spots on!"

* * *

Adrien scanned the room, frantically. "Ladybug... if you're here... please come out!" he said, quietly, trying not to be overheard.

He ran up the staircase, checking near his library shelves... down again, and into his bathroom... under his sofa... _Don't be a moron, Adrien, she wouldn't fit under the sofa, even as tiny as she is..._

A giggle in the vicinity seized his attention. He whirled around, trying to find its source...

At his window, he saw the top of a dark-haired head, a red-and-black domino mask and two blue eyes shining at him. He heard the giggle again, and the head quickly dropped out of sight.

"I saw that!" Adrien called, and ran towards the window. As he reached it, a slim figure flipped up onto the narrow balcony on the other side of the window.

"Knock, knock," Ladybug beamed.

* * *

Next time:

* "I like what you've done with the place."

* "...Am I hallucinating?"

* A slight change of heart.

* "Did you bring enough for the whole class?"

* "This is where I either get a status update, or my head falls off."

And more!


	6. Monkey Business and Morning Munchies

Someone To Watch Over Me, Chapter 6: Monkey Business and Morning Munchies

* * *

Adrien stood staring at his window and at the smiling red-and-black figure just behind it. He couldn't imagine what the expression on his face looked like at that moment... but Ladybug seemed to be enjoying it, whatever it was.

"Hi," she said, in a giggly voice. "Are you busy right now?" _I can't believe I'm doing this,_ she thought, a little bit of nervousness inside her surfacing.

"Not even remotely," he replied. "Please, come inside!"

Adrien opened the window the rest of the way and Ladybug stepped inside, with a warm smile on her face threatening to become an ear-to-ear grin at any moment. "Thank you," she cooed. "Such a gentleman!"

"Well, I'm not in the habit of leaving ladies waiting at my window... though I only know of one who doesn't use the front door." Adrien returned the window to being open just a crack, then turned back to Ladybug. "And only one who can leave little surprises for me without being seen. If you weren't in here already... how did you _do_ that? First in my school bag, now in my room...!"

"Oh... a girl has to have _some_ secrets, doesn't she?" beamed Ladybug, rather proud of herself. "But let's just say that I had a little help."

Adrien looked dumbfounded, unable to connect the dots immediately. For some odd reason, he was a little distracted. _My father wouldn't have done that... or Nathalie..._

He shook it off. _Another time,_ he thought. _Focus, you idiot! She's HERE!_

"However you did it, it was just what I needed. I'd just had a fight with Nathalie and my father, I came up here, I was pretty much grounded for the night... and all of a sudden, the most wonderful decorator had been hard at work cheering me up, right under my nose." Adrien gave her a smile that made her toes feel warm inside her costume. "I couldn't believe my eyes! Thank you so much."

"I wouldn't say that I needed to decorate much. I like what you've done with the place," grinned Ladybug, gesturing around her. "There's everything here that a young man could want."

 _Not everything,_ thought Adrien. _Until right now._

* * *

"So... I'm delighted to see you, but what brings you here tonight?" he asked, covering for that last thought. "Something I can help you with? Is there an Akuma?"

"Not that I know of," said Ladybug, sitting down on Adrien's sofa. "At least, I hope not... part of why I'm here is making sure that there isn't. You've been targeted twice this week, you had a really rough day today, and your father has been very hard on you lately. I wanted to try and help avoid a third time, if I could."

"That makes sense," Adrien replied, feeling slightly disappointed. _I mean, it's still awesome that she came here and all, but..._ "What's the other part?" he asked her.

Adrien watched Ladybug as he spoke, and wasn't sure that he believed what he saw. _She's looking away a little bit, like she's nervous... is she_ _blushing a little?_

"Well... because you had a really rough day today, and I was worried about you. I wanted to see you, Adrien," said Ladybug, in something of a shy voice. "I hope that's all right."

"I..."

* * *

He looked at her, and she looked at him.

Her smile crept a little wider... and so did his.

"You're grinning," Adrien said.

 _"You're_ grinning," Ladybug replied.

They both laughed a little at that. Adrien answered, "Well... _you're_ here! That's enough reason for me."

"Oh, it's not like I've never been here before," she noted. "I've been in here a few times."

"On a mission, sure. Like, that time my father was Akumatized, or when Volpina first showed up. Or when you dropped me off the other night. But we've never, just, like, you know... hung out together, have we?"

Ladybug thought for a second. "I don't think we have," she agreed. "And I can't stay half the night or anything, or my parents will be wondering. And yours, I'm sure! But if you'd like some company for a while..."

"I would like nothing more," Adrien answered, very quickly. He paused, and laughed to himself briefly.

"What is it?" Ladybug asked.

"It's nothing, really... but, just, hearing you say 'my parents' like that. I mean, of _course_ you have parents! You're about my age, right?" Adrien smiled. "I know, I know, never ask a lady her age... But we look like we're pretty close, maybe in the same year in school."

He walked over and joined her on the sofa, keeping a friendly distance. "I'm so used to seeing you as Ladybug, the Superheroine of Paris, the larger-than-life powerhouse in a tiny package, bravely risking her life to save us all..." he intoned, his voice growing melodramatic to the point where Ladybug raised an eyebrow, playfully.

"Stop, you," she giggled. "I'm just..."

"You're a normal person underneath, I know. I'm reminding myself of that. I'd never want to say 'just' about you," he added.

"Heh. That's not a bad thing, is it?" Ladybug asked, feeling curious. "That I'm not a strange visitor from another planet, I'm just a schoolgirl with a life and problems like anyone else?"

"Not for a second," Adrien replied, without hesitation. "If anything, I'd love to know so much _more_ about that side of you. Though I know you're very limited in what you can tell me, of course."

"And I'll have to be careful," she smiled, shyly. "Because I bet you could pry an awful lot out of me."

* * *

"So..." Adrien began, nervously. "Can I get you anything?" He paused, then wondered aloud, " _Can_ I get you anything? I'm not supposed to leave my room..."

"Don't worry about that, I'm fine," Ladybug reassured him. "I ate before I came over, and I didn't exactly give you a lot of warning."

"Still, I hate to be an ungracious host..." worried Adrien.

"So what was it that got you confined here? I know your father's been a pain lately, but this is new, isn't it?" she asked him, to distract him away from that.

"Yeah, it is. I got detention at school today... I took my time after we, uh, met to gather my thoughts, and I skipped a couple of classes," he explained. "Nathalie got snippy with me about it, and was going to run straight to my father to tell him. I got sarcastic with her, then Dad walked in and got on my case, and I snapped at him, too. He did _not_ like that."

"I bet. Was it worth it?" asked Ladybug.

"You know what? I think it was," Adrien replied, after thinking about it for a second. "I mean, I'd always rather avoid a fight than start one. But as far as I'm concerned, they started this one, and I defended myself for once. Maybe I did go a little too far."

"I wasn't there, so I can't say that for sure... but you weren't getting _nasty_ , were you? You don't seem the type to hit below the belt deliberately."

"No, nothing personal. But I was defiant, and Dad's _really_ not used to anyone not just accepting his authority. Especially me," mused Adrien. "I mean, I _do_ it sometimes, like when I sneak out because I need some time on my own... but almost never to his face."

"I can kind of relate to that. Like, my parents and I get along great, almost always... but there are times that I have to go behind their backs because of _this_ ," Ladybug replied, gesturing to her costume. "And that's gotten me in trouble. They get that look on their faces where they're not so much angry as... disappointed. And that hurts worse."

"I kind of miss those days. My father used to be a lot like that. Now he seems like he prefers to do both at once," Adrien sighed. He looked up at Ladybug with a small smile and added, "I was _almost_ ready to go too far on purpose, afterwards; I was thinking of skipping school tomorrow entirely. 'You don't like me in detention, Father? Fine, I won't be in it.' But I talked with a friend of mine and she helped me realize how bad of an idea that was."

Ladybug gauged her words carefully. "Yeah, I don't know if I would go _that_ far. That's a good way to get suspended instead, and you don't want to give your father an excuse to yank you out of public school, do you?"

"Definitely not!" he agreed. "That'd put an end to my feeling like a normal person."

Ladybug looked thoughtful. "Though, in another way, I do feel good about you pushing back some against your father and Nathalie," she continued. "They've been going way over the line lately, right?"

"You know it," Adrien said.

"Then this is a way of letting them know that," Ladybug argued. "You don't express a lot of anger, from what I know of you; you tend to bottle it up. This is your way of telling your father, 'Hey, _you're_ being unreasonable,' and that's unusual enough for you that maybe they'll think, 'Wow, if _Adrien's_ angry and pushing back, maybe I am going too far. That's not like him.'"

Adrien nodded, seeing her logic.

"Or he may just say, 'Wow, Adrien's being defiant, I need to double down on discipline,'" shrugged Ladybug. "That all depends on him, which is why I'd take it slow for now. A little rebellion goes a long way sometimes."

She fought the impulse to ask another question, and the impulse won. "...Who was the friend who talked you out of it, by the way?" she asked him.

"Who else?" smiled Adrien, sheepishly. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng again. You and she have been my lifelines through all of this."

"Good," Ladybug said, feeling very pleased. "She's a good friend."

"She's more than that," replied Adrien, in a tone of voice that she couldn't quite place.

* * *

 _She... is?_

Ladybug tried not to let her face betray what four little words had just done to her brain.

 _Marinette, you came here to make him feel better, not to stir things up!_ she ordered herself. _Change the subject!_

"So... I didn't mean to pry," she said, a bit nervously.

"No, it's fine! I needed to talk things out," Adrien said. "You're right; I do bottle things up. Sometimes far too much."

"Let's get your mind off of that, then, and do something fun," Ladybug smiled. "Just how grounded are you, anyway?"

"Nathalie took my phone, and said to keep my computer off, too," shrugged Adrien. "Beyond that, she didn't say anything else was off-limits." He gestured around the room, and added, mockingly, "Poor boy's got nothing else to play with," making Ladybug giggle. "I could put in a movie, or something like that. What kinds do you like to watch?"

"Well... I'm not into horror movies," Ladybug began.

"Hold on. Ladybug, the fearless protector of Paris, gets _scared_ by ghosts and boogeymen?" laughed Adrien. "After some of the things you fight?"

"Hey!" replied Ladybug, also laughing. "I know they can't come out of the screen and get me, or anything like that! That's just... not my kind of movie."

"All right, then, what would you rather?" He gestured to his shelves on the second floor and said, "Between what's up there and streaming services, I bet I can find just about anything."

"A good comedy, maybe? We could both use one of those."

"Hmmm," answered Adrien, with a calculating smile. "I could go old-school with that. Do you know your Marx Brothers movies?"

"I know of them, but I've never watched any of them," admitted Ladybug.

"Perfect! Sit tight for a second, I'll be right back," grinned Adrien, rushing up the stairs to where his DVDs were shelved.

* * *

A short while later, Nathalie stood outside the door of Adrien's room, listening intently.

 _If I didn't know better, I'd swear that he was talking to someone just now,_ she thought. _But I took his phone, and if his computer's off, he can't video-chat anybody._

Quietly, she opened the door just a crack, to see if Adrien had turned his computer on after all. He hadn't. Scanning the rest of the room, she saw the television on, and reasoned for a moment that it was where the voice had come from... then gasped with surprise, covering her mouth, when she saw a girl's head sitting next to him on the sofa.

 _That little SCAMP!_ she thought. _He's grounded and he thinks that he can have company? Alone with a girl in his room, no less?_

Nathalie closed the door again, to gather her thoughts and plan her attack. The first question that jumped into her mind, of course, was _How did he MANAGE that?_

"There's no way that whoever that is could've come in through the front door. I'd have seen her; I was right by there for the last hour," she mumbled to herself. "He didn't come downstairs to let her in through either of the back doors; we would've heard the garage door open..."

She edged the door open again, a little wider, to get a better look. _Dark hair, pigtails. That may well be the baker girl. If it is, we may have to include her in our plans after all. But how did she - WHAT?_

The girl adjusted her position slightly, lifting up a little bit and turning towards Adrien to say something... and Nathalie swore that she saw a domino mask on the girl's face and a red-and-black neck and shoulders coming into view.

 _Am I hallucinating?_

 _Is Adrien watching a movie with LADYBUG?_

The door closed once more, as silently as Nathalie could manage. She stepped away from Adrien's room and sent a frantic text message:

 **[Nathalie] We have an EMERGENCY. Come meet me outside of Adrien's room at once.**

His response was immediate:

 **[Gabriel] What is going on? Is he all right? Has something happened?**

 **[Nathalie] He's fine. Actually, he's quite happy at the moment.**

 **[Nathalie] But you're _really_ going to want to see this.**

* * *

"Bahahahahaha!" cackled Ladybug, as Harpo Marx made a shambles of a passport-inspection station with a stamper and a manic grin.

Adrien stole a glance at her, and felt very warm inside. Ladybug had her feet tucked underneath her and her hands in her lap, sitting half-sideways so as to see either the screen or himself with ease. She was clearly loving the movie, and seemed completely relaxed being there with him.

 _I can't get over how natural this feels,_ he smiled to himself. _It's the first time we've done this together, and it feels as if we've been close friends all year._

She turned and grinned at him, then busted up laughing again as Groucho approached an unconscious woman and quipped, "Sure, I'm a doctor - where's the horse?"

 _Even if we just stay friends like this... it's delightful to see her this happy._

* * *

Behind them, silently, the door cracked open once more. This time, a male head poked in and inspected the proceedings.

He retreated, just as quietly, with a startled expression on his face.

"Well?" asked Nathalie, impatient to find out if things were still as she'd left them.

"I can say only one thing for sure..." said Gabriel. "My son has excellent taste in movies."

* * *

Ladybug giggled her way through watching Groucho impersonate a cat in his own inimitable style.

 _Oh, this is exactly what I needed! After all the stress we had today, something silly and hilarious like this can make us both forget our troubles._

She peeked at Adrien, who had a huge grin on his face watching the brothers' antics. Adrien turned and looked at her, as if sensing her gaze, and smiled even a little wider. As he turned back to the TV, he reached his arm behind him for a moment, as if scratching the back of his head nervously.

 _He is SO cute when he's feeling better,_ she thought. _No wonder I'm working so hard to keep him that way..._

* * *

"Gabriel, what should we _do?_ " hissed Nathalie, waving Gabriel farther away from the door, lest they be overheard.

"Do? I would say, at this moment, we will do nothing," whispered Gabriel. "You saw the two of them. Assuming that she is the real Ladybug - and I cannot imagine how anyone else could have entered via the window - does she have the slightest inclination at the moment to hunt anyone down?"

"Well... no," Nathalie admitted.

"On the contrary, she appears to be here for a different reason entirely; to spend time with my son," Gabriel smiled. "Not that I can blame her, of course; Adrien is quite the charmer when he wishes to be."

"You are remarkably calm about this, Gabriel," marveled Nathalie. "Your arch-nemesis is in your own house - this close to your hidden lair, and to Emilie - and making time with your _son._ Isn't that a whole set of disasters waiting to happen?"

"Perhaps," he nodded. "Or, let us consider another possibility. My arch-nemesis is in my own house, making time with my son, as you put it. Building up a closer friendship, perhaps into something considerably more charged... Nathalie, we needed Adrien to be in a fragile emotional state. This could be the answer to our dilemma! We should not only ease our emotional manipulation of Adrien for now, but subtly encourage this."

His grin widened. "Imagine it with me. Ladybug feeling secure and comfortable in this house. Our knowing precisely where and when Ladybug will be at certain times, and with whom. A growing bond between them, leaving Ladybug vulnerable when Adrien is in peril... or Adrien in despair when _Ladybug_ is. A perfect target for the Akuma for which we've been preparing him!"

Nathalie stared at Gabriel with a bit of awe. "You, sir... are _diabolical."_

"You disapprove?" he asked, mildly surprised.

"No, that's meant as a compliment," she assured him. "And once your plan succeeds..."

"...Then my son will have both his mother, restored to him by his father's brilliant master plan, and the love of the young lady beneath Ladybug's costume. Should he still feel so inclined, of course... I would imagine she might need considerable consoling from him in those circumstances, and would fall straight into his arms. Who knows? At that point, with Emilie restored, I might even feel benevolent enough to return her Miraculous to her!"

Gabriel smiled at Nathalie's look of disbelief. "All right. _That_ is not very likely," he conceded. He then walked down the hallway quietly, motioning for Nathalie to follow. "Come. I have much to consider... and many plans to weave."

* * *

As the movie ended, Adrien looked over at Ladybug, who appeared to be delighted. "If I didn't know better, I'd say the Marxes have a new fan," he noted.

"Absolutely!" beamed Ladybug. "That movie's older than my parents, but it was hysterical! I _loved_ it."

"Well... not to try and tempt you into a return visit, or anything... but I do happen to have their whole collection on DVD. There are about a dozen movies in all, but they had a run of six in a row that are all just incredible. That one was the second of those," smiled Adrien.

"M-maybe we should make this a regular thing, then. I mean, if you'd want to..." suggested Ladybug, saying it out loud before her nerves could overcome her.

 _"Could we?_ I mean, I'd love to," Adrien blurted out, a little more quickly than he'd intended.

They engaged in another impromptu grinning contest, this time adding a trying-not-to-blush category to the scorecard, but once again it ended in a draw.

"I probably should be getting home... I don't want my parents noticing that I've disappeared. But I had a wonderful time tonight, Adrien," Ladybug told him. "I really needed this."

"You have no idea how much _I_ needed this. Or, maybe you do... since you made it happen," beamed Adrien, as he walked her towards the window. "Thank you so much; for the surprises, for staying with me tonight, for this morning, for all week! For so many things. I can't even name them all."

"Believe me, Adrien... I'm happy to do all those things. Let me know when you want to do another movie night, or whatever else, and we'll get together again. But I need two favors from you, okay?"

"Just name them," Adrien replied.

"Number one should be easy; just keep in touch. Especially if you feel like you're slipping again, like this morning," said Ladybug...

...and Adrien's eyes widened. _This time she IS blushing!_ he thought, with some amazement. _I'm sure of it!_

"...But any time you want to reach out to me is fine," she finished her sentence, a little shyly.

"That... um... goes for me, too," replied Adrien. "You've got my number and my email, and I'll keep my window unlocked just in case."

That got Ladybug giggling again. "Well, I _will_ try to give you some warning next time! If your dad caught me sneaking into your room at night, I can only imagine the security system he'd buy."

 _I can only imagine how fast I'd learn to disable it_ , thought Adrien, trying not to turn crimson from the mental picture alone. "What's the second favor?" he asked.

"This one you can do for me tonight," grinned Ladybug. "You found the note on your pillow, right?"

He nodded.

"The pleasant dreams that I mentioned? Have one of those," she winked.

Before she could offer to tuck him in to make sure of it... she tossed her yo-yo, gave him a happy wave, and she was gone.

* * *

"That's not going to be a problem," mumbled Adrien, mostly to himself. "I won't be dreaming of anything else for a month. If ever."

Plagg floated out of hiding, marveling at Adrien's half-stunned expression. "You look like you might not _sleep_ for a month. Just lying in your bed, wide awake, night after night, moaning _Laaaaadybuuuuug..._ "

That snapped Adrien out of his trance. "Hey!" he said, coming to a realization. "You have some explaining to do, Plagg. Remember how Ladybug said she had 'a little help' redecorating the room?"

"Yeah?" replied Plagg. "I didn't have anything to do with that, until I was asked to distract you."

"So Ladybug _was_ in here...!"

"Not exactly," Plagg said. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Which is?" asked Adrien, looking confused.

"Who are you talking to right now? Your Kwami! Just like how Ladybug has one. She floated right through the wall when you weren't looking," grinned Plagg.

Adried nodded. "Okay, that makes more sense," he replied, but then looked stunned again. "Plagg... are you telling me that Ladybug was standing under my window for a while, _without her costume_ , while her Kwami was leaving surprises for me?"

"Yup."

 _So I was_ _ _that_ close to finding out, if I'd only known...!_

"I've said it before, but I don't know if I've ever meant it more... it's a good thing that my father doesn't have security cameras outside my room."

* * *

Ladybug popped the hatch to her room, made sure that the room was unoccupied, then slipped inside silently and transformed back. _Better safe than sorry; I don't want the neighbors seeing a white flash at night and wondering what it is,_ she thought.

 _Plus, I don't want them to hear me when I squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeal!_

Marinette let loose a happy shriek into her pillow, getting an amused reaction from Tikki. "I take it that you enjoyed your evening," the Kwami deadpanned.

"That was absolutely _magical!_ " she bubbled. "You and I did what we went there to do, and it worked so well, thanks to your help... and then - it was just - I mean - the way he _looked_ at me, Tikki! Did you _see_ how he looked at me? That _smile?_ How we both kept going back and forth between being so comfortable together, and being so shy and nervous?"

"I think Nino was right about that crush," Tikki agreed. "And now you've seen it yourself, up close. Was it that surprising to you, really?"

"Tikki, I... let me explain it this way, okay?" answered Marinette. "This is all so new to me, and I'm trying to make sense of it. I've never had feelings for someone before _who's had them back for me!_ And unless I completely misread tonight... and I don't think that I did... it's finally happening!"

"You need to be careful with this, Marinette," warned Tikki. "You're high as a kite right now, and I'm not saying that's wrong... if it's how you want it to happen. But would you rather have him fall for Ladybug... or for Marinette? Because I think you're seeing signs that he's falling for _both_ of you."

All of a sudden, Marinette's eyes got so big that Tikki briefly worried whether they might fall out of her head.

* * *

"Plagg... I think she really likes me," Adrien half-whispered, trying to make himself truly believe it.

"Of course she likes you," sighed Plagg. "I didn't think that was ever in doubt."

"I think she _likes_ likes me. That's different."

Plagg mumbled something under his breath about _humans_ and _dictionaries_ and _goofy teenagers_ until he had to fly out of Adrien's reach, cackling at him.

"I'm serious!" Adrien wailed up at his tiny friend. "The way I get all tongue-tied around her... how she can make me nervous or make me blush without even trying... all those times that I can't do anything but just grin and admire her, and wonder how I'm worthy to even be near her... you didn't _see_ that tonight? Ladybug was doing those things, too! I'm _sure_ she was!"

"Now, let's assume that I agree with you. Mostly because I do," parried Plagg. "That's what you want, right? You look like you feel happy, but... something else, too."

"I feel happy, _and_ excited, _and_ worried, _and_ scared out of my wits! It's like I'm being electrocuted a little at a time," babbled Adrien. "So help me, already!"

* * *

"I've... been feeling that, Tikki. I thought that I was just reading into it what I wanted to see. But if _you're_ seeing it, too...?"

 _This is a very delicate moment_ , reasoned Tikki. _I need to guide her carefully here._

"Marinette, take a breath. I don't want you passed out on the floor, okay?" she guided her young charge. She waited until Marinette composed herself somewhat before continuing. "I do think Adrien's crushing on Ladybug. I think that's obvious, and you two are so cute together! You giggle and you blush and you flirt and you just keep _grinning_ at each other. That could be just a matter of time, don't you agree?"

Marinette nodded her head _yes_ , repeatedly, but with something of a mix of emotions now visible.

"Now, think about how this week has gone, okay? How touched Adrien was when you met with him in the library. All the text messages, the look on his face when you walked into the bakery this morning, how much he _needed_ to comfort you today!" continued Tikki. "You were there reaching out to him, but the only thing he could do was make sure that _you_ were all right, that you understood _why_ he couldn't respond well when you told him how you feel. And that's because he's not sure how he wants to respond yet... but _he is thinking about it_. I've never been surer of that. You two have never been closer."

Tikki flew up close. "He said these words himself today, when you mentioned how Marinette was a good friend... 'She's more than that.'"

"You're right. And it's scaring me a little," admitted Marinette. "Or maybe a whole lot."

* * *

"Explain that to me," said Plagg. "What's got you so nervous?"

"Okay... I'll try," Adrien replied, speaking rapidly. "I told Marinette this morning that I felt numb and overwhelmed, and I didn't trust my own instincts right now. That hasn't changed, and that was _before_ Ladybug was in my room tonight, blushing at me! That is AWESOME, but it's not exactly a calming influence."

He sat down, gathering what wits he had left. "And I have to tell Ladybug that. I don't want to, but I do. It feels like something's starting here, and it's not fair to her if she doesn't know what she'd be getting into with me."

"Oh, I think she knows just where your head is at right now. You've opened up to her a couple of times this week," Plagg ventured. _Plus, she kind of heard you this morning, but I won't mention that..._ "And she knows you've nearly eaten an Akuma a couple of times."

Adrien's face fell, making Plagg backpedal quickly. "And that turns her off _so much_ that now she's setting up movie nights with you, right? She knows you're having a hard time, and she doesn't think any less of you because of it. _Obviously_."

"Which is nice to know," Adrien conceded. "But there is one thing Ladybug doesn't know, and that I can't tell her about. _You._ And that's still worrying me a lot, because if Ladybug does want to be more than close friends, I'm tricking her into dating someone she's already rejected twice."

"Oh, boy. Um..." Plagg circled around, wondering how to handle that issue. "Adrien, listen..."

"And speaking of that... Ladybug has someone in her life already! She's told me that," worried Adrien. "I mean, it kind of sounded like he was her crush, not her boyfriend, so maybe she isn't really off the market after all, but if I'm getting in between her and who she _really_ wants -"

"Adrien. _Breathe,_ " instructed Plagg. "Seriously. There is something big that you don't know yet. And I'll bet that _she_ doesn't know yet."

"What's that?"

Plagg tried his best to show a soothing smile. "What she wants."

* * *

"I am just not ready for this," worried Marinette. "I thought that I was. I was _sure_ that I was. I had it all figured out, right down to our future and our house and our white picket fence and our hamster! And now..."

"...Things got complicated," Tikki finished. "Talk it out for me."

"Adrien and I never _have_ been this close before. We're talking! We're really _talking!_ We're sharing our thoughts and feelings! I'm not stuttering and babbling around him. He's looking at me lately like he's really seeing me for the first time," Marinette stammered. "And every time he gives me that sweet look of his, I feel it all the way down to my feet. It's not pink-clouding! It feels kind of... deeper."

"Feels good, doesn't it?" Tikki smiled. "I know that I'd want more of that."

"I do. I do, I do, I _do!_ But... then there was tonight. That felt so right, too, but so different! Like... flirty and giggly and a little more romantic, you know? And I've been wanting that so much, too! It's like... like I'm becoming his best friend one way, and maybe his girlfriend the other way."

She thought hard for a moment. "If he's ready for a girlfriend, that is. And I don't know that he is... but he was responding like he wants to be."

"And do you want to be?" asked Tikki. "If it means doing it as Ladybug?"

"Like I said... I _thought_ that I was sure."

* * *

"There is one more thing that you need to think about, Adrien," insisted Plagg. "And I hate to make things more complicated, but I can stop you in your tracks with one word."

"And what word is that?" asked Adrien, with an eyebrow raised.

"Marinette."

Adrien started to respond, and stopped in mid-thought... then just smiled, softly. "Yeah," he agreed. "I was hoping to do some serious thinking about her tonight... and then everything else happened. "

He looked at Plagg with a curious expression. "Plagg... do you think she was trying to tell me what I _think_ she was this morning?"

"Let me put it this way," Plagg grinned. "Tonight was great, and yeah, it felt to me like Ladybug was being kind of flirty and bashful with you... but is she the one who kissed your cheek last week?"

 _And we now pause for a little more dreamy reminiscing,_ grinned Plagg, internally. He wasn't wrong.

"I think you need to ask _Marinette_ what she was trying to say, not me," deflected Plagg. "But not tonight, not tomorrow. Not yet. You don't need to decide anything about either one of them right now; get your head straight first. It's a nice problem to have, two pretty girls who both seem to be into you, and you don't want to rush anything if you're not sure. It's not like they'll be fighting to the death over you; they can both have a big place in your life."

"That does make sense," agreed Adrien. "And not worrying about that all night means that maybe I will have that pleasant dream."

He glanced over to the closed door and saw something lying just inside it. Curious, he walked over and found his phone sitting there, with a little note attached to it on his father's personal stationery:

 **I believe that I made my point tonight... but so did you. Let's not make a bigger deal of this than it should be, all right?**

"Huh," Adrien smiled. "I didn't see that coming."

* * *

"Don't overstress yourself, Marinette. I promise you that time will make all of this clearer. The more that the two of you spend time together - in _both_ combinations - the more each of you will know what you want it to be. Just enjoy where you are now with him."

Tikki's gentle wisdom seemed to make Marinette feel a little better. So, too, did a gentle ***bleep*** from her phone.

 **[Adrien] Hey... are you still up?**

 **[Marinette] I am. Your father didn't take your phone after all?**

 **[Adrien] He did, but he returned it just now. It seems that he still has some humanity left.**

 **[Marinette] Good, I'm happy to see that. How are you feeling?**

 **[Adrien] Much better, thank you. I had a very good evening.**

 **[Adrien] I was wondering... may I walk with you to school tomorrow?**

 _That_ got Marinette's full attention.

 **[Marinette] Oh, you are joining us tomorrow after all? :)**

 **[Adrien] Yeah. And joining you, if you'd like.**

 **[Adrien] Not an early go-off-and-talk like today... though thank you so much again for that... just as company.**

 **[Marinette] I'd never say no to that. Any special occasion?**

His reply made her emit yet another unidentifiable happy noise...

 **[Adrien] I'm trying to do things that I know will make me feel better. I know being around you is one of those.**

"Tikki... look at this, Tikki... _How do I even?_ " Marinette stammered.

"Gently," Tikki smiled.

 **[Marinette] I'll see you then. :)**

* * *

Morning came, and with it a whole new set of important choices to be made.

"Tikki... which blouse do I wear?" begged Marinette, earnestly. "And do I go with my normal eyeshadow, or this one?"

The response came amidst a giggling fit from her tiny friend. "Marinette, take a breath. Adrien's not falling for your eyeshadow; he's falling for who's underneath it. Besides, you're not spending the day on a beach in Bermuda with him; you're spending an hour in detention after school. Go with whatever you're most comfortable in!"

To her relief, Marinette appeared to ease up somewhat. "You're right," Marinette conceded. "I'm a little keyed up, for _some_ odd reason..."

"C'mere," called Tikki, summoning Marinette over to her. "Let me remind you of something. Do you know what the difference is between this week and, say, the beginning of the year as far as Adrien is concerned? Right now... you're learning to _relax_ around him. To be yourself. When you do that, _it works_. So just do that and don't worry about figuring out the perfect everything."

Marinette gave her a warm and sincere smile in return. "Thank you, Tikki. I don't know what I'd do without you," she said.

"Probably a lot of _blah-bla-blah-bla-blah_ ," Tikki giggled, imitating Alix's impression of tongue-tied Marinette. Even Marinette couldn't resist laughing at that.

* * *

Marinette tiptoed down the stairs to the bakery, hoping for a pleasant surprise...

"Hi!" called Adrien, standing by the front door near her mother. She was moderately relieved to see that he was in his normal school attire as well... not that she had any complaints about his everyday appearance.

"Good morning!" she replied, with a broad smile. "I wasn't sure if I'd be meeting you here, or over on the steps..."

"I figured that if I came here, we could walk a little longer," said Adrien.

"Plus, there's that Preferred Customer plan I told you about yesterday," interjected Sabine, slipping a small white bag his way. "On the house."

Adrien looked visibly surprised, but happy. "Oh! Thank you so much, Mrs. Cheng!" he replied. "You really didn't have to..."

"Ohhhh, _I_ see how it is," grinned Marinette to her mother, with her hand on her hip. "He's using _me_ to get to _you_ for free pastries."

"Not even close, dear. I'm using _you_ to get to _him_ ," she smirked back, trying to keep a straight face. "I love your father, but you know how it is... maybe I can trade him in on a newer model like this?"

That got all three of them laughing, with only a touch of _She's kidding, right?_ visible in Adrien's facial expression.

* * *

As they crossed the street together, Marinette asked him, "Ready for our big afternoon together, Adrien?"

"Oh, yes," Adrien said, with a humorous roll-of-the-eyes. "Detention's another new school experience I've been waiting to try. How does it work, again?"

"There's really not much to it. I've only gotten it twice, myself... You pretty much just sit there. Some monitors will let you talk quietly; others get fussy about that. You're supposed to just do some homework, or read, or agonize over your terrible behavior that got you there."

"Twice? _You?"_ gasped Adrien, as they reached the bottom of the school's steps. "I find that hard to believe."

"What, that I'm so goody-two-shoes that I've rarely gotten in trouble?" she asked him, raising an eyebrow.

"Just the opposite! Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the terror of Françoise Dupont, baddest of the bad girls, and you've only been caught _twice_?"

"They fear me too much to lock me up," she mock-growled, suppressing a giggle. "At least until a new criminal mastermind came into our class, even more devious and twisted than I am, too clever for them to make anything stick on him - until _now_..."

"Watch out, world! She's got a cake-frosting gun, and she's not afraid to use it..." Adrien laughed.

"They found his victims dazed and helpless... but _so_ fashionably attired, in the newest Agreste casual line," she retorted, cracking up as she finished her sentence.

The pair traded one-liners and helpless laughter all the way to their classroom... Adrien found himself grinning uncontrollably again, the same way that he had the night before. _Now, _this_ is the Marinette who makes me laugh and smile so much when I'm Chat Noir!_ he thought. _I was wondering if she'd ever get that comfortable with me this way..._ _and it seems like she has._

 _Good._

As they walked, more than a few people noticed not just their keeping company again... but how natural it now appeared.

* * *

As Nino chatted with Alya, he saw her face brighten as he heard footsteps behind him, from someone entering the classroom; rather quickly, it was joined by a look of surprise.

He turned around and saw Marinette and Adrien walking in... _together?_ he wondered. _That's kind of new..._

"Hey! Good to see you, Nino," said Adrien, his trademarked smile back on his face as he rounded the corner of the desk they shared. "How are you today?"

"Pretty good. How about you?" He watched Marinette pass by on the way to her seat, with her smile as prominent as Adrien's, then focused on Adrien again. "You're looking more like yourself today."

"I'm getting there. Things are starting to make some sense again," replied Adrien. He and Nino started their conversation as Alya looked Marinette up and down, intensely curious about what she just saw.

"Well?" Alya whispered, as Marinette reached for her notepad.

"Well, what?" grinned Marinette, enjoying this.

"You're _sparkling,_ " noted Alya, quietly. "Are you..." she hinted, with a tiny head nudge in Adrien's direction.

"Not quite," Marinette whispered back. "Long story."

"Good story? A story you can tell? Happy ending? _Is_ there an ending yet?" bubbled Alya, trying not to be overheard.

"Later!" insisted Marinette, happily.

* * *

Meanwhile, Nino and Adrien kept busy catching up on things they hadn't had a chance to talk about lately.

"What are you doing this weekend?" asked Adrien. "I'm going to try to get out for a while, and if you're free, maybe we can do something?"

"That'd be awesome!" said Nino. "It's been too long since we've had the chance."

As they chattered, Adrien checked the clock on the wall. "We still have a few minutes before class starts, right?" he noted, and pulled a little white bag out of his messenger bag.

Nino came up with a couple of weekend options, then stopped short in mid-sentence, watching his friend. "Are... you all right, Adrien?" he asked.

"Um... yeah?" Adrien replied, puzzled. "Why?"

"You're eating a snack."

"...Uh-huh? I do that sometimes when I'm hungry," continued Adrien. "And this apple turnover was calling to me."

Nino was still processing all of this. "You brought a snack to class? I don't think I've ever seen you do that before. Isn't your dad on you all the time about counting every calorie?"

By this time, a few people on the other side of the room were also starting to take notice. Marinette making goo-goo eyes at Adrien... that was normal operating procedure. Adrien showing his own interest back in her... that was still pretty new, but at least within believable parameters. But Adrien the model, scarfing down _pastries_ at his school desk? THAT was different.

"Let me put it this way, Nino... right now, as far as what my dad's on me about? I don't really care," Adrien grinned, taking another bite.

Kim couldn't resist piping up, watching the scene. "Did you bring enough for the rest of the class?" he called over to Adrien.

"Nope! Just this one," came the reply.

"Then what am I supposed to do if I'm hungry, too?" teased Kim.

"Get in good with Marinette's mother? That's what worked for me," smiled Adrien, as he made the last bite of the apple pastry disappear.

That got a small round of laughter and an unmistakable _What?_ look from Alya, though the latter faded quickly.

* * *

On the way out, Marinette got about ten steps towards her next class before Alya pulled her aside, with an overly excited expression on her face.

"C'mere!" Alya insisted, and pulled Marinette by the hand a short distance away from everyone else. Marinette was a little bit startled, but played along.

"All right, you... You and Adrien came strolling in together two mornings in a row. Yesterday, he looked like he'd been whacked by a hockey stick when you two walked in; today, he's all smiles and sunshine, much more like his old self. And you're _still_ sparkling. He said he'd 'gotten in good with your mother' and you didn't even blink. You look perfectly relaxed. Around _him_!"

Alya held her skull in simulated agony. "This is where I either get a status update, or my head falls off. What is going _on_ , Marinette? It _has_ to be good news, right?"

"Nino hasn't been filling you in on the details?" whistled Marinette, innocently.

"Nino is just as startled by all of this as I am, trust me. Come on, girl! What's happened?" begged Alya.

"I'll tell you what I can, but not here; we don't have enough time. Pull me aside at lunch," Marinette replied. "I need to get to Physics before the bell rings!"

As Marinette hurried away, Alya yelled to her with a grin, "Just remember, the longer I have to wait, the larger the audience'll be!"

* * *

Nino caught up with Adrien again on their way to the locker room, after gym class. "Hey," Nino said, falling into step with him. "You're really feeling better, Adrien?"

Adrien shrugged. "Dad's still being... Dad. But I'm finding ways to cope with it better, and getting some help."

"Dark-haired help?" hinted Nino. "With twin pigtails?"

Adrien looked at him, a little surprised, then settled into a sheepish smile. "Yeah, dark-haired help. She's been just wonderful to me," he replied.

"Good. I know how much she wanted to help you," Nino said. "Are you two... considering..."

Adrien laughed, a bit nervously. "I'm not sure yet," he begged off. _"We're_ not sure yet. We agreed to wait and figure that out once my head's in a better place. But I'll tell you one thing... I'm really tempted to ask her. She's amazing."

He looked at his friend's face, saw both happiness and relief there, and his mind kicked into gear. "You... seem pretty happy about that, Nino," Adrien noted. "Why is that?"

"Um..." Nino stalled. _I don't want to just say it out loud if Marinette hasn't yet..._ "I think you two would be great together, that's all."

"I think you're right. I really do. But there is... one potential complication," Adrien said, slowly.

"What's that?" asked Nino.

All of a sudden, Adrien's whole demeanor changed. "Nino," he half-whispered, "if I tell you a secret, can I trust you not to tell _anyone_? Not Marinette, not your other friends, not even Alya?"

"Um... sure?" Nino replied, looking confused. _What secret could be that important?_

"There's one potential complication who visited me last night... and she wears red and black."

Nino wasn't sure what his own face looked like at that moment; he didn't think he'd want to, all things considered. "Slack-jawed astonishment" only covered the surface of it, he figured.

But the look on Adrien's face was much less complicated, and said one thing quite clearly:

"Please _help_ me."

* * *

Next time:

* Alya tries to keep her brain from escaping out through her ear canal.

* Nino swears himself to secrecy about something that no one else would believe, anyway.

* A meeting of tiny minds.

* "Romantic, isn't it?"

* How do you bare your soul to someone... when you can't speak out loud?

And more!


	7. The Most Golden of Silences

Someone To Watch Over Me, Chapter 7: The Most Golden of Silences

* * *

Nino Lahiffe walked slowly to his next class, trying to process what he had just heard from his friend Adrien. It was an… interesting set of statements.

 _"I've nearly been Akumatized twice this week. Both times, Ladybug saved me at the last moment_."

As bad as Adrien had felt over the last few weeks… that one Nino bought at face value.

 _"The Akuma that became Blindside was meant for me."_

Well… Adrien was here at school, right? And so was the Akuma. That also checked out.

 _"She came to visit me at my house last night. All of a sudden, there she was at my window."_

Okay…

 _"We talked about things for a while… and then she stayed and watched a movie with me. I couldn't believe it!"_

If it was anyone but Adrien saying this… not a chance.

 _"She was nervous. She was blushing. She couldn't stop grinning. She acted around me the same way I was acting around her!"_

He had to have been exaggerating… right? He just _had_ to be.

 _"She gave me her phone number – her PRIVATE phone number – and, no, it doesn't match anyone else's that I know. And her email address! And she wants to get together again for another movie night! I… I think she LIKES likes me, Nino."_

Nino's Bull-o-Meter was pinging very loudly. Except…

 _"Nino, I know _precisely_ how crazy all this sounds. It sounds like I'm either hallucinating, insane, or Lila Rossi. I'd look like the King of All Jackasses if I was lying about this," he'd said. "But I swear on everything I own that it's all true. I have no reason to lie to you. I'm not telling you this to boast… and I don't want you to tell _anyone_ else_. Not even Alya. Please promise me that, Nino!"_

Which, if Adrien was telling the truth… kind of fit. And he'd never known Adrien to lie or brag before.

 _"I'm telling you this because I may be facing an impossible choice, and I need some advice. I'm finally waking up as to how incredible Marinette is… and that maybe she's had feelings for me, too. And if that's true… I need to make that up to her in about a thousand ways. But the girl of my dreams, the one I've been pining for all year, is suddenly right there and responding to me! Not just saving me, but sneaking me notes, visiting me at home and blushing on my couch! And that can't really be happening… but it did!"_

 _"And I'd rather cut my own foot off than hurt either one of them."_

 _"So if I'm right… what the heck can I do?"_

Nino tossed the whole conversation back and forth in his head all the way to History class. It was all weapons-grade implausible… except that, somehow, it wasn't.

He'd seen the two of them together several times, and they certainly looked quite friendly. This wasn't someone far older, like Clara Nightingale or someone like her; Ladybug is clearly a girl around their age. Adrien is a handsome model… who doesn't act all stuck-up like a rich model might. Maybe Ladybug _could_ be crushing on him. And Adrien's gut reaction to two beautiful girls interested in him isn't "Yippie!" or "Lucky ME!"… but worrying about _their_ feelings first.

So, if he was in Adrien's shoes… what would _he_ do?

Nino pondered that as he took his seat.

He imagined Ladybug - LADYBUG! - looking at him in the soft and caring way that Alya did.

He pictured the look on Marinette's face whenever she talks about Adrien.

He wondered how Adrien could thread that needle and keep both of them happy.

And he kept coming to the same conclusion…

 _I'd start running._

* * *

Marinette entered the cafeteria and settled in next to Alya, who was on the edge of her chair. Alya was polite enough to let her take at least three bites of her salad before giving her a _Well?_ look.

"So… I suppose I'm not getting out of here without telling my story, hmmm?" Marinette teased her.

"I will tackle you if I have to," Alya begged. "What is going on? And whatever's going on, how on earth are you so calm about it?"

"It isn't easy…"

Alya gaped as Marinette related the edited-to-remove-Ladybug-activities version of the last two days. "You _finally_ _told him_?" she marveled. "Face to face? I thought I was going to have to hold you at gunpoint for that to happen."

"I didn't mean to," replied Marinette. "It kind of… slipped out. And I didn't go all-in telling him that I'm in love with him, and I'm glad I didn't. He was fragile enough already, and what little I said was enough to fry his circuits."

She gave Alya a hopeful expression, continuing, "But he was _so sweet_ as soon as he saw me tearing up… and every minute since then! He's been texting me, he asked to walk me to school again today, and we're so much more comfortable together now. I don't have him as a boyfriend _officially_ yet… but I definitely have his attention. And he looks _so much_ happier since we talked, which is what I wanted most."

"Hmmm. So you're not out of the Friend Zone… but you've escaped the Just A Friend Zone. That's progress, right?" noted Alya, wryly.

"It is. And I'm not pressuring him for more yet; I'm letting him make decisions at his own pace. He's still dealing with things at home, and he won't get over those overnight," Marinette answered. "And I don't want to get _too_ hopeful. Maybe when he's not feeling so vulnerable, I'll go back to where I was before with him… but it feels so good to be closer to him like this."

Alya saw a bit of worry creep back into her friend, and moved in a little closer. "Marinette, I don't think you have anything to worry about. There are stars in that boy's eyes right now… Marinette-shaped stars. _Everyone_ can see that. Once he gets his head straight about those home issues you'd mentioned… I think you may have all the Adrien in your life that you can handle."

"That's an awful lot," sighed Marinette, with a smile. "But it's a challenge I'm willing to accept."

She looked over at the other end of their lunch table and saw her other girlfriends looking at them, with Rose in particular twitching slightly and looking on with longing eyes.

"C'mere," Marinette called to them with a little wave, and the girls came running over for their turn to hear Marinette's story...

* * *

"...And that's where we're at. Now, who wants to tell me what to do next?" grinned Marinette.

The table was filled with thoughtful, but momentarily silent faces.

"I stumped the panel, huh?" she giggled.

Mylène piped up first. "I think you're smart to play it slow, the way you have been. If he's having that hard of a time right now..."

"I don't agree with that," argued Alix. "You've been making bold moves lately, and they're all working great! Strike while the iron is hot and while he's fascinated by you. Kiss him again when he's not expecting it."

"And watch him freeze up again, all overwhelmed?" said Juleka. "That couldn't have been fun for either of you last time it happened. He needs to figure himself out first."

"Or sit and wait and then watch someone like that fencer girl grab him up," parried Alix. "We don't want that, right?"

"I'm with Alix," added Rose, surprising Marinette a bit. "You love him. He's finally figured out that he loves you. Why make each other wait longer?"

"First off, _loves_ is a strong word... for him, anyway," said Marinette, a little overwhelmed herself. "And, secondly... because he asked me to?"

Mylène frowned, "She's right about that. Going at this pace and letting him get comfortable seems like the right plan for now. Alya, what do you think? You're our tiebreaker today."

Alya thought for a moment. "With what I've seen this week... I think he's there already. He's just trying to find the right way to say it out loud."

"You could still make the first move..." suggested Alix.

"Hasn't she already? She kissed him at the picnic, she's been his confidant and shoulder to lean on twice this week, and she hinted how she feels about him! That's, like, moves one through four, at _least,"_ Juleka countered, turning towards Marinette again. "And I am so proud of you for getting up the nerve for all of that..."

"He needed those," shrugged Marinette. "Okay, the kiss was more what I _wanted_ than what he needed..."

" _He needed that_ ," five voices said in unison, causing a round of laughter.

"Okay! So... stick with what I'm doing now, except I should pounce on him instead, but I totally shouldn't. Got it, " Marinette grinned, pretending to take notes.

"Honey, we can't tell you what to do, because you're already nailing it all on your own," consoled Alya. "Look over there, as slowly as you can," she directed Marinette with a subtle finger-point.

She looked... and saw Adrien watching her from three tables over, perhaps not fully realizing he was doing it. Abruptly, their gazes met, and Adrien jumped slightly; he and Marinette exchanged smiles and a little wave, then Adrien turned back to his lunch and his conversation with Nino with a reddening face.

"He's on the hook. You'll know how and when to reel him in," Alya grinned.

* * *

"So, when's your next fishing trip going to be, then?" wondered Alix. "Since he looks like he wants a taste of the bait."

A little "Oooooohhh" went around the table, which Marinette tried hard to ignore.

"Well, um..." she began, "I do kind of have a chance to be next to him this afternoon... though we probably won't get much of a chance to talk while we're there."

"Oh!" bubbled Rose. "Are you going to the movies?"

"After-school detention, actually," replied Marinette with a sheepish grin. "For when he and I disappeared yesterday. Ms. Bustier was actually easy on us in that it's only one day."

"Ah, detention," Alix smirked, striking a dreamy pose. "Romantic, isn't it?"

Rose looked confused at that. "It is?" she asked, then listened closely as Juleka whispered something in her ear.

"Adrien's dad isn't going to go ballistic because Adrien got detention, is he? worried Alya. "That might not help him stay in a good place."

"From what he told me... yeah, his dad kind of did at first," admitted Marinette. "But they worked it out, I think, from what he texted me last night. His dad's not thrilled but he's dealing with it."

"Do you have anything special planned for this afternoon?" asked Mylène.

"Not really," she replied. "I don't know what I _could_ do there, really, so I'm playing it by ear. Plus, I'm still running on a high from this morning..."

"You're not kidding about that," noted Juleka, wide-eyed. "When you two walked up the stairs together like that, all laughing and smiling, you looked so much like a couple already! I'd wondered if it had finally happened."

Marinette caught herself staring back at Adrien, mentally comparing his face just now to the even dreamier one he'd had for her as Ladybug last night.

"I've been wondering a lot of things lately," she replied, absently.

* * *

Nino watched Adrien's reactions to Marinette's wave with some amusement.

"I'm hopeless, aren't I?" asked Adrien, a little embarrassed at having been caught staring.

"Maybe a little," agreed Nino, good-naturedly. "So tell me more about this Ladybug thing! When she's not fighting Hawkmoth... what's she like?"

"Very down-to-earth. She's a regular teenager underneath it all. I think she's our age; maybe a little older, she seems so mature," Adrien replied. "As she put it, she's not a strange Ladybug from another planet; she's just a person, with family stuff and problems like anybody else."

"That makes sense. I mean, I'm pretty sure that the other Miraculous heroes are like that, too," ventured Nino. He and Adrien kind of looked away from each other for a second, neither one wanting to say out loud how they knew that was true.

"I'd never gotten to spend personal time with her before," added Adrien. "Usually, she's gone as soon as the fight is over. But she charmed the heck out of me... she was sweet, she was playful, giggly, a little bit bashful... she's always so compassionate... and we talked about a bunch of things. I've never seen her open up like she has with me lately."

"She didn't, like, tell you who she really is, did she?" Nino wondered.

"Oh, no," Adrien replied, quickly. "And I'm not sure that she ever will. Or can, for that matter... The phone number was under an alias. But that she gave me anything about her normal self _at all_... let alone her phone number... I'm just floored. I have no idea how to react."

"Huh. And you're pretty sure that it wasn't just 'here, call me if there's an Akuma?'" asked Nino. "I mean, you are a great guy and everything, but..."

"I know, I know. I've been replaying it all in my mind, wondering that," conceded Adrien. "But I really don't think so! I mean, she's been friendly with me before this. This just felt like something extra... you know, that she's _interested_."

"But..." he added, staring over at Marinette again for a moment. Nino followed his gaze.

"What do you think I should do, Nino?"

"Hey, it wasn't too long ago that _you_ were giving _me_ romantic tips over an earpiece, wasn't it?" Nino laughed. "And even then I ended up with a different girl than the one I'd been chasing! I barely know what I'm doing, myself."

Adrien got a laugh out of that. "We're all new at this. But, seriously, what do you think? Even if it's just a gut reaction?"

* * *

"Well..." pondered Nino. "This isn't, like, deciding which one you want to marry, or take to prom, or something big like that. You're not dating either one for real yet, right?"

"No... not really..."

"Then maybe take it slow and give both of them a chance? Let them know that you're seeing someone else, too, of course... _definitely_ don't keep secrets... but see how it feels. Spend time with both of them and see if one or the other feels more girlfriend-y," suggested Nino.

Adrien looked a bit startled. "...You're allowed to _do_ that?" he asked.

"Probably, as long as you're completely honest the whole time," shrugged Nino. "Where you get in _big_ trouble is if one doesn't know about the other and they think you're hiding something. They're both good friends of yours, right? If you're not going steady with one or the other, it shouldn't be a big thing to want both to be in your life. They know each other, from what you said before; maybe they'll even compare notes! And even if one of them _does_ become your girlfriend, the other won't just disappear and never hang out with you again. It's kind of a good problem to have."

Adrien still looked dubious. "And what if they both end up wanting to be more than friends?" he asked.

"Uh... then it's not so good a problem to have," Nino allowed. "So tread lightly. _Really_ lightly. In fact, think hard whether you want to try that approach at all." His face contorted a bit as he rethought his previous advice and felt compelled to add additional disclaimers. "I, uh, don't really know Ladybug well, so I can't speak for her... but if Marinette gets _this close_ to being your girlfriend and then she's not, she could take that very hard. Be gentle with both of them, I'm saying. Make sure both know exactly where they stand."

"Yeah. I have to... I could _never_ hurt Marinette," agreed Adrien, caught up in his thoughts a little bit. "I have to think hard about this before I do anything." He pondered the concept for a moment, then turned to Nino with a questioning look.

"But being my girlfriend... _that's_ something that Marinette really wants?" he asked in a serious voice.

"Dude... I, uh, that's not really for me to say, but..." his friend stammered. Nino wavered under the probing look on Adrien's face for a moment, then blurted, "...yeah. I'd bet my house on it. I'd bet _your_ house on it."

"I had a feeling about that," Adrien replied, looking as happy as Nino had seen him in a long while. He turned thoughtful again, and added, "At least since what she's been like these last few days, anyway."

The sudden look on Nino's face shouted out to Adrien some extremely valuable information... which was "No, that's NOT new..." or it would have, if Adrien hadn't turned away again to gaze at Marinette. This time, when she noticed his stare and smile, she returned his smile but she was the one who turned away, giggling.

 _I need to think more than a LITTLE harder about this,_ Adrien pondered.

* * *

The end of the day arrived, and Alya waited up for Marinette outside of her last class. "Dead girl walking!" she grinned.

"Oh, stop," shooed Marinette, giggling. "It's just detention. It's not like I didn't earn it."

"I mean, 'girl who's going to die because she'll be sitting next to Adrien for an hour and she can't talk to him' walking," cackled Alya. "But you've got this figured out, right?"

"I think so. At the very least, it'll be better looking company than the last time I was there."

They walked together towards the front of the building, where the designated detention room was. "Want some company while you wait?" Alya asked.

"Oh... all I can get," grinned Marinette.

They chatted for a few minutes until they saw a familiar blonde head poke around the end of the hallway and grin. As Adrien walked in their direction, Alya quipped, "Still want some company?"

"Can you hold up cue cards for me, so I'll know what to say to him?" asked Marinette, a little nervously.

"I don't think that's allowed. Besides, you've got this," Alya assured her. "Hi, Adrien," she called over to him.

"Hi," he replied, happily. "Hello, Marinette! I was looking for you... I wanted to make sure I was in the right place."

"This is it. This is where the magic happens," she grinned. "Yeah, I guess that would be kind of bad... getting another detention for not being able to find where detention was."

"And before you know it, I can never go back to class; I'm just in detention all the time. Kinda reminds me of home, really." He smiled at his joke, but that faded when he saw Marinette cringe a little bit. "I'm kidding! Really, I'm fine, it's been getting better lately," he assured her.

"I hope so," Marinette told him, with concerned eyes. "I worry about you, you know."

"I think I'll let you two settle this," smiled Alya, as she headed for the front door to meet up with Nino.

"I know you do," Adrien told Marinette, "and you're wonderful for doing that. I've seen a change in myself these last couple of days, and you know that you're a big part of the reason for that, right?"

It was one thing to know it; it was quite another to hear it straight from _him_. Marinette felt her face redden and a silly grin appear on it, and struggled for how to reply. Seeing the room begin to fill up somewhat, she managed, "Shall we?" and gestured towards the door. "Can't let all the good seats get taken."

* * *

Marinette picked a desk in the back of the room, and was pleased to see Adrien settle in next to her. She peered up at the front of the room and groaned, subtly. "We got Mr. Travers today as the monitor," she explained. "He's one of the stricter ones, I'm told. Teachers take turns with this, and some will let you talk quietly. I was hoping for Miss Beauchamp-"

"All right, everyone, settle down," Mr. Travers intoned, in a deep and unenthusiastic voice, quieting down Marinette immediately. "None of us want to be here, especially on a Friday afternoon, so let's not make me bring you back here on Monday, hmmm? Some of you, I'm not sure if you've been here before. Others, like James here, are frequent flyers."

James, a hefty upperclassman, gave the teacher a wave and a grin.

"I believe he thinks that every time he accumulates ten visits, he wins some kind of prize," quipped Mr. Travers. "Nevertheless, the rules are very simple. No talking. Period. Texting counts. If I see a phone, I will take it, so turn them off now. If you are silent, and I don't have to come over there, we'll get along well. If not... you may have to get used to this view."

He took roll call quickly, then settled in with a book. "And your hour of quiet contemplation begins... now."

Adrien nodded quietly, folded his hands, looked around briefly... and realized that unless he thought of something fast, that was how he would spend his next fifty-nine minutes. _Wow_ , he thought. _As a punishment, this is kind of... effective. This sucks._

 _So..._

He felt a foot nudge against his, and turned to see Marinette looking down at her pad of notebook paper. On it, in a stylish cursive script, she'd written ARE YOU GOING TO GET SOME PAPER OUT SO WE CAN COMMUNICATE, OR WHAT?

As he reached into his messenger bag and fetched his own notepad, he could almost _feel_ the silent grin on her face. _All right... you do think of everything,_ he mentally conceded.

* * *

Marinette watched as Adrien prepared his notepad, pulled out a pen, and wrote **Clever!** at the top of his page.

DO YOU HAVE A PENCIL? she wrote. EASIER TO ERASE THAN A PEN.

 **Not with me...**

She slid a pencil across the desk to him, then discreetly placed another blank sheet in between the two of them and started on some rough figures on it. THIS WAY, IF MR. TRAVERS LOOKS, WE CAN BE WORKING ON A DESIGN TOGETHER, she wrote on her own notepad.

 **I like it! You've thought of everything.**

ALYA AND I DO THIS IN CLASS SOMETIMES. IF YOU PASS NOTES, PEOPLE CAN CATCH YOU AT IT; IF YOU WRITE SEPARATELY LIKE THIS, IT'S MORE PRIVATE. AND EASIER TO GET RID OF ANYTHING INCRIMINATING.

 **Incriminating? You? Whatever could you mean?**

WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO KNOW WHAT WE TALK ABOUT SOMETIMES, RIGHT THERE BEHIND YOU AND NINO?

 **That depends. How scared would we be?**

Adrien looked over at Marinette, and saw her wicked grin...

 **I retract my question.**

* * *

Down by Marinette's feet, a tiny red blur zipped across the floor, also seeking some private communication.

Once she was inside Adrien's messenger bag, Tikki gently shook the sleeping Plagg. "Hey! Wake up!" she whispered.

"Hah? Wha?"

"Shhh!" Tikki cautioned. "They're both right above us, so we can't talk here. C'mon!"

Plagg watched as Tikki zipped down through the bottom of the bag, presuming that she'd gone straight through the floor as well. He grumbled a bit to himself, then followed her.

* * *

SO... YOU'RE RIGHT, I HAVE NOTICED A GOOD CHANGE IN YOU THESE LAST FEW DAYS, Marinette wrote, in between filling out the two rough figures on the sketch paper. YOU NEEDED THAT.

Adrien watched her draw, and realized with a grin that the figures bore a striking resemblance to a certain pair of students sitting in detention. She'd started on a mini-dress on herself, and he took a stab at a summer outfit on his.

 **I'm not much of an artist, but I'll give this a shot.**

YOU'LL BE FINE. IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE SHOWING THIS TO ANYONE.

 **I meant what I said earlier, by the way,** replied Adrien. **So much of my feeling better** **is because of you.**

Her nervous smile returned. I'M JUST GLAD THAT I COULD HELP YOU. I HATE TO SEE ANYONE IN PAIN... ESPECIALLY FRIENDS WHO DESERVE SO MUCH BETTER.

 **You have a real gift for that. I don't think I've ever known anyone who works so hard to make everyone else happy.**

 **It's appreciated, so very much... and it's noticed. And not just by me. But definitely by me.**

YOU'RE SWEET, she wrote with a wider smile. BUT YOU KNEW THAT ALREADY.

Adrien debated with himself whether to test the waters, and to see if Nino had been right...

 _I need to take a chance,_ he thought. _She's worth the risk._

* * *

 **But you are looking out for yourself as well, right?**

Marinette glanced over at him, with a raised eyebrow. WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?

 **You push yourself so hard to brighten the world around you. But you have wants and needs, too, and I bet you set them aside more than you should.**

 **If you could ask something of me** **, anything I could do or be that'd make your own life better... what would it be?**

Marinette gasped a little, involuntarily. She turned in his direction... and felt like she was about to drown in two perfect green eyes.

* * *

Plagg caught up to Tikki in an unoccupied basement room, just below where their hosts were sitting.

"Okay, I'm here," he yawned. "And somehow I know what you want to talk about."

"Uh-huh! I need to compare notes with you on what the kids are thinking. We're on the brink of something big, I think, and we need to keep it from becoming a car crash!" Tikki appeared happy, but also somewhat agitated. "Adrien really is feeling better?"

"Way better. Between his father easing up on him a little and Marinette blowing his mind - in costume and out - he's still dazed, but more of a happy daze now," replied Plagg. "I think he's done being an Akuma target for a while."

"I sure hope so. I don't even want to think about what an Akumatized Adrien would do to Marinette," shuddered Tikki. "You've been talking to him; what's he been saying about her? Is he leaning one way or the other, or neither one yet?"

"Both!" Plagg declared, bluntly. "He's always been head over heels for Ladybug, and last night was a dream come true for him. I thought he was going to pee himself when he saw her at his window, or when he started figuring out that she really likes him that way! But Marinette's opened his eyes in a _big_ way, too. I think he'd be asking her out right now if it wasn't for, well, _her -_ and he still might! He might be doing that right now."

Plagg scratched his head, giving the situation more thought. "Adrien with Marinette, rather than Ladybug is what we want, right? But what does _she_ want?"

"She's not sure yet, either," answered Tikki. "She _adores_ this new closeness with Adrien, and every time he looks at her that way, she gets the shivers. But you know how he looks at _Ladybug..._ it's ten times more intense that way, at least so far, and I don't know if she can resist that."

Tikki flew in a little circle, nervously. "As for what _we_ want... them dating without costumes would be easier to manage, that's for sure. But I don't like telling her what her own heart needs... and if she does decide to chase him as Ladybug, I can't blame her, and we could make it work."

Plagg added, "His friend Nino had a suggestion earlier... keep it light and date both of them. Be honest that he's not getting serious yet, but that he's interested in seeing if he should be with either. Nino was like 'it's an idea, but it could be dangerous, so think about it first,' and that's _without_ knowing that they're the same girl."

Tikki rolled her eyes. "Marinette's head might explode." She thought about it a little longer, though, and got a curious look on her tiny face. "Although... maybe it isn't that crazy!" she considered. "More opportunities to get to know each other better... they really do need that... and that way she remains a strong presence in his life both ways, which he still needs, too..."

"Adrien wasn't sold on that yet. But he is thinking about it," replied Plagg. "He's not going to date one and tell the other goodbye, if that's a worry. They both mean so much to him. He's scared out of his mind that he'll hurt either one of them, so he'll be overcautious if he's anything."

"That's good," smiled Tikki. "You know where I'll be if you need to reach me."

"You know," Plagg grinned, "if he does pick Marinette... we could always double-date with them. I haven't been out for a nice Italian dinner in a while..."

"Keep dreaming, Stinkysock," giggled Tikki. "Let's get back up there before either of them notices."

* * *

At that moment in time, Marinette Dupain-Cheng... froze in place.

Her mind tried to process what she'd just read, how Adrien was looking at her with questioning eyes and THAT SMILE right now, whether it meant what she thought it meant...

...and all she could string together was that she'd be in detention all next week, because surely Mr. Travers could hear the BA-WHOOM BA-WHOOM BA-WHOOM pounding in her ears.

 _Is he... asking me how I feel about him? Asking me if I want him to ask me out? Or ask me to be his girlfriend? He's been acting different around me lately - oh, God, those EYES - am I ready for this? Is HE ready for this? Am I overreacting? If he's just being close and friendly and I really go for it, am I ruining it? Should I just SAY IT and get it over with and risk all the good that's happened this week?_

She took a breath, trying to collect herself and not show Adrien that, internally, she was screaming at herself.

 _He asked you to take things slow,_ she reasoned. _So take things slow and don't blow it!_

With a mostly steady hand, she wrote:

YOU ALREADY DO MORE FOR ME THAN YOU KNOW.

 **Like what?** he replied.

 _Deep breath, Marinette. Focus._

YOU ARE ALWAYS SO SUPPORTIVE OF ME. ANY TIME I DOUBT MYSELF OR FEEL NERVOUS, YOU'RE THERE TO COMFORT ME.

 _Comfort? Support?_ Marinette's brain howled. _THAT'S what you're telling him that you want from him? What are you DOING?_

 **That can't be very often. You're one of the strongest, most confident, most positive people I know.**

 **You seem like, anything you set your mind to, you can do it and do it well.**

 _Except for telling you how I feel,_ thought Marinette.

 **Like how you almost made the fencing team the first time you ever tried it.**

WAIT, YOU KNEW THAT?

 **I could tell you'd never done it before... but you looked so natural out there that day. You amazed me.**

WE ALL HAVE OUR WEAK MOMENTS. YOU ALWAYS CATCH ME ANY TIME I'M FALLING, AND I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR THAT.

 **I'm glad that you think so. But there must be something more I can do than "what I do already."**

 _I guess that... I could make myself drop a _little_ hint.._.

* * *

Before she could change her mind, she wrote out, quickly:

I'VE REALLY ENJOYED HOW WE'VE GOTTEN SO MUCH CLOSER THIS WEEK. I'VE WANTED THAT FOR A LONG TIME. IT FEELS WONDERFUL.

That got a bigger smile out of Adrien, and Marinette tried hard not to turn into pudding when she saw it.

 **I have, too. Not just because of how kind you've been to me this week, either.**

 **Every little thing I learn about you makes me want to know more.**

That turned her a light shade of red, at least momentarily. "You do?" she whispered, barely audible. "Like what?"

"Lots of things," he whispered back, then turned back to his paper with an acknowledging nod when he saw Mr. Travers glaring at him.

 **Lots of things,** he wrote. **What kinds of music you like. What your favorite food is. What you like to read. What you do to relax when you're by yourself, or when you're with your friends, or out on a date.**

Red became scarlet, which Adrien noticed immediately.

 **Are you okay? I didn't mean to overstep.**

NO, NO, I'M GOOD, she scribbled. THERE ARE LOTS OF THINGS I'D LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT YOU, TOO! I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT.

Inside, the impulse to add to that statement burned brightly... and it finally won out.

AS FOR WHAT I DO ON A DATE, I'M NOT SURE. I'VE NEVER ACTUALLY HAD ONE.

Feeling a little embarrassed, Marinette stared down at what she'd written. _Too late to erase that now,_ she thought. But when she turned, she saw Adrien looking quite nervous, and then she saw what he'd written in response...

 **There's nothing wrong with that. I've never had one, either.**

 **Would you like to figure out how it works together, sometime?**

* * *

Tikki watched Plagg slip back into Adrien's bag, her eyes barely peeping past the surface of the floor.

 _Marinette's purse is a little higher up, I'll have to time this carefully so that they don't see me -_

She glimpsed the expression on Adrien's face, and how focused he was on Marinette's at that moment. Then she peeked up at Marinette...

 _Hah! I think I could do a tap dance and sing three arias from 'Carmen' right now and neither of them would notice._

* * *

 _Did he just..._

"Did you just..." Marinette gasped, then clapped her hand over her mouth. Quickly, she grabbed her pencil:

DID YOU JUST ASK ME ON A DATE?

The smile on his face showed that it wasn't a mistake.

 **It doesn't have to be anything fancy or elaborate. We can start slow and easy and see how we both feel about it.**

Adrien watched Marinette swallow hard, breathing a little faster, and wondered if he'd just screwed up badly.

 **That is, if you want to do it at all. No pressure. If you're uncomfortable with it, we don't**

YES! YES, I'D LIKE THAT VERY MUCH! Marinette's pencil flew on her paper, as quickly as she could write, interrupting his sentence. Her visible delight was interrupted momentarily by another thought.

BUT ONLY IF YOU'RE SURE THAT YOU WANT TO? I CAN WAIT UNTIL YOU'RE READY. I KNOW THAT YOU'RE STILL WORKING THINGS OUT...

Adrien didn't hesitate at all.

 **Like I said last night, being around you always makes me feel better. I'd like to return that favor every way that I can.**

 **I'm starting my life back up slowly... but I really** **do** **want to start.**

* * *

Fireworks burst into brightly-colored sparkle showers deep within Marinette Dupain-Cheng's soul.

* * *

Marinette suppressed an excited squeal only by an enormous display of willpower. She watched as Adrien's face also lit up with happiness...

 _...But there's something else_ , she worried, as she saw nervousness in him as well.

 **There is one more thing that I HAVE to tell you, before this goes any further. I can't do this without being totally honest, okay?**

Wide-eyed, Marinette nodded silently.

 **There's another reason that I need to start slowly. There is another girl I need to talk to.**

 **Someone I've had a crush on for a very long time, and she surprised me recently by showing interest.**

 **I don't know if there's anything possible there... and nothing serious has happened yet...**

Marinette looked stunned. On her paper, she wrote: KAGAMI?

Adrien reached over and drew two lines through her name, shaking his head 'No.'

CHLOE? Marinette wrote, with an incredulous expression.

Adrien's eyes bugged out. He reached over again, scratched her name out with a huge black X and scribbles, then wrote **Oh, HELL no** underneath it.

She remained puzzled. LILA? she wrote underneath that.

This time he scratched the name out very thoroughly, adding **Ewww, no.** He paused before continuing. _How do I say this?_ he wondered.

 **She's not someone in our class... at least I don't think so, anyway. It's a really unusual situation. I can't really explain it yet.**

 _Wait, what?_ thought Marinette. _I don't THINK so? Wouldn't he KNOW?_

Now Marinette looked _extremely_ confused... until the light bulb went on over her head.

She drew a little bug, penciled in some spots on its back, and put a question mark next to it. With an odd smile on her face, she pointed to it and looked up at Adrien...

* * *

Adrien looked like he'd seen a ghost. His eyes bugged out as a sensation of panic swept over him.

" _How did you know_? Did Nino tell you? When did he tell-"

Adrien's whisper was cut off when Mr. Travers shifted his weight in his chair, subtly warning him to be quieter, or else.

 **HOW DID YOU KNOW?**

Marinette's grin was sly and triumphant.

I DIDN'T, FOR SURE... UNTIL YOU JUST TOLD ME.

 **Okay. Wow. I didn't mean for it to come out quite like that.**

Adrien's nervousness increased as he kept writing.

 **Like I said... there's nothing "there" yet for sure. But I feel like I need to at least talk to her about it.**

 **I'd told you how she saved me recently. It's happened twice now. She's talked with me about my problems, just like you have.**

 **We've even talked about you. So she knows just how much I've been... thinking about you lately. **

**And I might even be imagining that she seemed interested in me. Wishful thinking.**

AND WHAT WILL YOU DO IF LADYBUG IS INTERESTED? wrote Marinette, intensely curious as to what he'd say.

* * *

 **I have no idea. It barely even seems possible to me** , he began writing. _I CANNOT mess this answer up,_ he thought.

 **But I know that I wouldn't just tell her "I'm yours," for a bunch of reasons.**

 **One is that she and I don't know each other that well yet. I'm amazed that she's told me anything personal at all about herself.**

 **Two is that maybe I'm dead wrong about her, and she's really just worrying about me, preventing another Akuma.**

 **But if if I'm not wrong... which is a little scary to me...**

WHY DOES THAT SCARE YOU? SHE'S JUST A GIRL UNDERNEATH, ISN'T SHE? Marinette wrote.

 **"Just" is a funny word. Whoever's under the mask, she's not "just" anyone.**

 **She's a dear friend that I'd never want to hurt, either by assuming too much or by not taking how she feels seriously.**

 **But you're dear to me, too. And that's the biggest reason.**

 **I know what it's like to have feelings for someone, but she doesn't know about it because I haven't been able to tell her.**

Adrien gave Marinette a smile that made her toes curl, and the BA-WHOOM BA-WHOOM BA-WHOOM returned to her ears.

 **And I might be wrong... but I've realized this week that someone else I know might have had some unspoken feelings like that.**

Marinette did her best not to spontaneously combust in her chair.

I MIGHT AGREE WITH THAT, she wrote, in the understatement of the decade.

* * *

 **So here's part of why I'm so nervous,** Adrien continued.

 **If she does have some feelings, I don't want to just leave her hanging...**

 **Like I might have left you hanging. And if I hurt you without meaning to... ****I'm so sorry about that if I did.**

 **We can talk about that, if you want to.**

ADRIEN... YOU DIDN'T KNOW, wrote Marinette, after a long pause. IT WASN'T YOUR FAULT.

Adrien sank down in his chair a little, clearly struggling with mixed emotions.

 **So it is true, then? This isn't something recent, it's been building for a while, and I was oblivious?**

Her silent expression on her face told him all that he needed to know about that.

The horror on HIS face told her how blind he'd just realized he had been.

* * *

DON'T YOU DO THIS TO YOURSELF NOW, she wrote with some emphasis. WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT WHEN WE CAN TALK OUT LOUD, IN PRIVATE.

BUT... WELL... NOW YOU KNOW. AND WHAT YOU DO NOW THAT YOU KNOW IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT.

Adrien looked at Marinette, shaking a little bit with nervousness. He leaned over and drew little horns and a pointed tail on his figure on the sketch paper.

He looked at her with remorseful eyes. **I don't know that I even deserve you as a friend.**

LET ME DECIDE THAT, OKAY? SO FAR, I'M NOT TRADING YOU IN.

 **...Thank you. I do want to talk about that sometime, though. And make it up to you. So much!**

 **But that's where I'm coming from. If Ladybug is really interested, I don't want to just leave her hanging or ignore how she feels.**

 **I want to at least talk it out with her and not hurt her by accident... like I did to you, even if you deny that.**

 **I don't know what that means yet.**

 **I feel like a total jerk just for bringing this up! I just told YOU I'm interested, and I meant it!**

 **But I do know this much.**

 **I have two amazing friends who care about me, and I care so much about them, and I can't lose either of them.**

 **But I just asked the sweetest girl I know on a date... and she said yes... and I can't wait to see what happens next.**

 **...Does that tell you enough to make sense of all this, and decide if the answer's still yes?**

* * *

 _If the other girl who might steal you away from me wasn't ME,_ Marinette thought with an internal giggle, _somehow I think I'd be a lot more worried._

Adrien watched Marinette's face, nervously... and to his massive relief, Marinette's smile returned quickly.

IT TELLS ME JUST HOW SENSITIVE AND SWEET YOU REALLY ARE, she wrote. AND YOU SAID THAT I PUT OTHER PEOPLE'S FEELINGS FIRST!

HOW COULD I BE UPSET WITH YOU FOR BEING HONEST WITH ME, AND TRYING SO HARD NOT TO HURT ANYONE?

She reached across and erased the devil horns and tail from Adrien's figure... replacing them with little wings and a halo, instead.

I NEED YOU IN MY LIFE, ADRIEN AGRESTE. WE'LL FIGURE OUT THE REST LATER.

Adrien reached over and drew a halo over Marinette's figure as well... then, to her delight, he drew a thought bubble next to his with a tiny heart inside it.

Marinette did the same.

Shyly, Adrien reached across and took her hand in his...

* * *

Mr. Travers looked up from his book, making sure that everything was in order. His eyebrow raised as he saw what appeared to be young love blossoming in the back row.

 _Hmmph,_ he thought. _Kids! They'll make goo-goo eyes anywhere._

 _Well, as long as they're quiet about it..._

* * *

Nathalie Sancoeur sat impatiently in the passenger seat of the Agreste sedan, passing messages back and forth with Gabriel. The unexpected hour out of Adrien's schedule had long since been accounted for and redistributed, but she still had her hands full attending to business matters of the day.

 **[Gabriel] You have the contract lined up with the de Vries people?**

 **[Nathalie] Yes, that should be settled and waiting for your electronic signature. I also cleared the Dior invoices before I left.**

 **[Gabriel] Good, good. I'll admit that settling this contract will be a load off of my mind.**

 **[Gabriel] Speaking of which... keep me informed as to Adrien's mood when he arrives.**

 **[Gabriel] I'd imagine that his school punishment might have him somewhat downcast, and given what we discussed last night, I don't want that right now. Perhaps, stop for ice cream or something on the way home if he needs a boost.**

Nathalie looked up at the doors of the school, seeing them open, and once she recognized what it was that she saw... her jaw dropped.

 **[Nathalie] I really don't think that's going to be a problem, Sir. ;)**

 **[Gabriel] Whatever do you mean?**

She watched as Adrien walked down the front steps, hand-in-hand with Marinette, both of them with a smitten look on their faces.

 **[Nathalie] It appears as if our junior heartbreaker has been busier than we knew!**

 **[Nathalie] He and the baker girl are walking towards me together, far cozier than I've ever seen them.**

 **[Nathalie] Perhaps a breakthrough between them? I'll find out what has happened.**

 **[Gabriel] Really? So soon after what we saw last night? Perhaps I jumped to conclusions about that.**

 **[Nathalie] Should I discourage it, to get him to focus on Ladybug?**

 **[Gabriel] No, no. Ladybug may be just a friend after all, encouraging him to speak his mind to his true interest.**

 **[Gabriel] And I have a contingency plan worked out involving that possibility.**

 **[Gabriel] We need more information before we act, however. I trust that you can pick his brain about it?**

 **[Nathalie] Consider it done.**

* * *

Adrien walked down to his car with Marinette, feeling as if his feet were barely touching the ground. The sensation of her hand holding his, the warmth of their shared excitement, the grin that neither one of them could erase from their faces... they were all intoxicating to him, in a new and unfamiliar way.

 _If I could have known that she'd liked me like this all along..._

"What are you doing this weekend?" he asked her, as they approached the car. "I know I told Nino I'd get together with him, I haven't had a chance to do that in a while."

"I have nothing much planned, that I know of," Marinette replied. "And we still don't need to rush our date, if that's why you're asking. I know your father keeps your calendar pretty full; whenever it will fit is fine."

"Somehow 'our date' doesn't sound right..." he mused.

"It doesn't?"

"It makes it sound like there'll only be one," grinned Adrien. "And I really doubt that."

"Ohhhh..." she beamed. "Yeah, I agree."

As they reached the car, they stopped and faced each other. _Now what do I do?_ he wondered. _Keep holding her hand? Kiss her? Tell her that I..._

Without a word, Marinette leaned forward and hugged him tightly, which he happily returned.

"Keep in touch, okay? I'll be watching for you on my phone," she whispered up to him.

"Count on that," he smiled. "And if you need some company... let me know, and I'll come running."

The sound of a car door opening distracted them for a moment. Nathalie hopped out of the passenger seat, opened Adrien's door, and then turned their way. "Obviously, detention wasn't as bad as you feared, hmmm?" she smiled.

"You could say that," grinned Adrien, hanging onto Marinette's hand while turning to face Nathalie. "It most definitely had its moments."

"Good. Your father will be waiting, I'm sure. And you must be Marinette?" she asked, lightly.

"I am. Nathalie, isn't it?" She reached out with her free hand and shook Nathalie's. "You know my name?" Marinette asked her, a little surprised.

"Adrien's spoken very highly of you! And I make it my business to learn about people whom I'm sure we'll be seeing much more of," winked Nathalie.

With one last hand-squeeze, Adrien entered the car and they headed out into traffic, the two watching each other until the sedan rounded the next corner.

"Tikki?" whispered Marinette, grinning from ear to ear. "I'm afraid you might've been replaced."

"What do you mean?" came a tiny voice from her purse.

"I feel like I could leap onto my balcony right now _without_ transforming."

* * *

Next time:

* To two cups of exhilaration, add one pinch of complications and two tablespoons of reality. Stir.

* A little midnight texting.

* Red and black and even redder.

* It was a dark and stormy night.

* "I... shouldn't."


	8. A Calm Before A Storm

Someone To Watch Over Me, Chapter 8: A Calm Before A Storm

* * *

Marinette walked through the front door of her parents' bakery... or did she float in, like a soap bubble on a breeze? She really couldn't tell at that moment in time.

Tom looked up from the display case he was filling, and called, "Hello, Marinette... _Uh-oh."_

Grinning from ear to ear, Marinette stood with a hand on her hip. "What do you _mean,_ 'Uh-oh,' Dad?"

"I know that look," he laughed. "The first time your mother kissed me, I walked in the house with that look. That's what your grandfather told _me._ And he was right!"

"Right about what, Tom?" asked Sabine, entering through the door from the kitchen. "Has something happened... _Uh-oh,"_ she grinned. "What did Adrien do?"

"Something _wonderful,_ " Marinette bubbled. "He's interested in me! We talked it out - well, we wrote it out, we couldn't talk out loud in detention - and he asked me on a date! _More than one_ date, even! He held my hand, he gave me that look, that smile, those eyes...! It _finally happened!"_

"That's great, Marinette!" smiled Tom. "I know how long you've really wanted that."

"Yes, I'm so happy for you!" Sabine agreed, enthusiastically. "I'm tied up with something right now, but you'll tell us all about it at dinner?"

"I doubt that you could stop me," giggled Marinette, as she dashed up the stairs to her room. "And if you hear happy shrieking from upstairs, pay no mind!"

Her parents shared an amused look as a pair of customers entered the shop. "Are we really ready for this?" Sabine asked.

"Are _any_ parents ever ready?" Tom answered, with a knowing grin.

* * *

As Marinette's room door closed, Tikki emerged from her purse. "Well! I guess that I should say -"

Her sentence was cut off as Marinette turned and wrapped her up in a tight hug, dancing in a little circle. "It happened! It happened, it happened, it _happened!"_

"...Congratulations!" gasped Tikki, happy for her but also preferring to continue breathing freely. "Now, _that_ wasn't so hard, was it?"

"Oh, yeah," Marinette mocked playfully. "I just snapped my fingers and he fell for me, right? Easy as pie."

She flopped down into her desk chair, overwhelmed. "I'm just... I feel amazing, Tikki! It was almost as intense as the other night as Ladybug... but this time there was no doubt about it, it was all Marinette!"

"Are you suggesting that Ladybug isn't all you, Marinette? Because I beg to differ," asserted Tikki.

"Oh, I _know_ it's me either way, Tikki. But _he_ doesn't know that!" Marinette grinned. "And Ladybug has a certain... well... flashiness to her, doesn't she? I was hoping he was into the girl who wears the mask, not just the mask... and now I know that he does!"

"I think you could wear clown makeup and a tutu and he'd still be into you, though I wouldn't recommend that," Tikki giggled. "Now, are you ready for the extra challenge ahead of you?"

"Challenge?" asked Marinette, looking surprised.

"You're closer to him now than you ever have been. You've opened up to him as both yourself _and_ Ladybug. He's going to want to stay close with both of you... and probably try to figure out which of you he's falling for more," explained Tikki. "So now you're going to flirt with him both ways, share even more of yourself with him, and still try to keep your secret that his two sweethearts are the same girl, right?"

"Oooh! You're right," Marinette replied. "Challenge accepted! It can't be _that_ much harder than keeping Ladybug's secret normally, can it?"

Tikki just smiled as Marinette ran through a bunch of the possible scenarios in her head. "Or... um... yeah, it could be. Tikki... did I just make things worse?" she worried aloud.

"Not at all!" Tikki assured her. "Just because you're Ladybug doesn't mean you don't get to have a real private life, too. And I know you well enough to know that you'll be careful. You'll just need to be _extra-careful_ to keep your two sides balanced and keep your facts and statements straight. Do you have a preference yet as to which way you'd rather have him?"

"Is it bad if I don't yet?" wondered Marinette, with a soft smile. "I'm still getting used to the idea that he wants to be with me _at_ _all!_ "

* * *

Once Adrien pried himself away from his car's rear window, his peaceful journey lasted about another half a block.

"Okay, okay, you were right!" he laughed, bashfully, under the weight of Nathalie's _I told you so_ smile. "There was something there between us. Wow, _is_ there!" he added, still half in a daze.

"Good for you!" smiled Nathalie, with an uncharacteristic touch of humanity behind it. "Tell me about it! I'm dying to hear how it happened."

"You are? Um, okay," Adrien began, a trifle surprised. "A couple of things happened. You've heard me talk about Marinette before, I know you have, and what an amazing friend she's been to me all year. She's been on my mind more and more lately, especially this week when she's been helping me deal with some things about... um... well, Dad."

"I see," Nathalie noted. "Do you feel like you and your father are still an issue right now?"

"Yes and no?" admitted Adrien, hesitantly. "I think we're better than we were this time last week. There are some things I'd still like to talk out with him, but I know what his schedule is like, and... we'll see. Anyway, Marinette's been so good to me - even more than usual - that I guess I started seeing her in a different light. I talked with Nino about her, and Nino pretty much confirmed that he knew she had feelings for me. I have no idea how I hadn't noticed them before."

"Hmmph," Nathalie half-laughed. "You'd think that if a girl dedicates so much of herself to making someone else's life better, it'd be a dead giveaway, huh?"

There was an odd catch to her voice, almost as if that was a wayward thought that shouldn't have escaped. Adrien and the Gorilla both looked at her strangely, hearing that.

Nathalie realized this, regained her composure quickly and added, "But these things are always complicated. We all know that." She turned to the Gorilla, pointed straight ahead and noted, "The road's over there..." brusquely; he turned back to focusing on his driving with a grunt.

"So... um..." Adrien continued, feeling a little bit awkward. "I talked it out with her today and tried to find out if Nino was right. She was a little shy about it, but definitely interested, and when I told her I was interested and asked her on a date, I think we both nearly fell over."

"Good! I'm happy that it worked out. Where are you thinking of taking her?" asked Nathalie.

"I'm... not sure yet?" Adrien said. "We're starting slow and seeing how we feel about it, getting to know each other better. We haven't spent a lot of time together outside of school, so there's so much for me to learn about her! I can't wait."

"Sounds like a smart approach," Nathalie smiled. _Time to do a little more fishing,_ she thought. "Was there someone else you'd had your eye on all this time, perhaps? Sometimes that can distract you from who's right under your nose."

"There... um..." hesitated Adrien. _How do I explain THIS?_ "There... kind of is? And that's also something I talked with Nino about. There's a second girl that I'd, uh, been crushing on for the longest time. Someone very much out of my league, but she's so amazing."

Nathalie's eyebrow raised. "Adrien, your father would have a heart attack if he heard you say that. You are an Agreste. You _define_ the league. Who could possibly make you feel that way?"

"It's... complicated," Adrien struggled to say. "I'm going to leave it at that. And there have been some unexpected positive signs recently with _her_ , as well... so I need to speak with her and make sure I understand what's going on there before I make any commitments with anyone. And Marinette knows that, and she agreed that I should."

"She did?" marveled Nathalie, sounding genuinely surprised. "I doubt that I would've."

"It would break me in two to hurt either one of them," added Adrien, gently. "They're both very good friends of mine. So if I seem overwhelmed over the next week or two, while I figure all of this out..."

"You will, I'm sure," soothed Nathalie. "You're a fine young man, and you have a huge heart. You'll make the right decisions."

"...Thank you," Adrien replied after a slight pause, not used to hearing that kind of praise from her.

He looked up at the Gorilla in the rear-view mirror, who smiled, made kissy noises and then gave him a questioning expression.

"No, we haven't done _that_ yet!" blushed Adrien. "One step at a time, okay?"

The Gorilla's quiet chuckle ended the conversation and left the other two passengers alone with their thoughts for the moment.

* * *

"Well, hello, Miss I've-Got-A-Boyfriend!" grinned Tom, as his daughter entered the dining room for supper.

"Not... _quite_ yet?" Marinette hesitated slightly. "But so much closer than ever before!"

"Oh?" asked Sabine, carefully bringing a roasted chicken to the table. "Tell us about it! You certainly looked like you were on cloud nine earlier, and he couldn't have looked much more boyfriend-ish these last few mornings..."

Over the duration of the main course, Marinette related the afternoon's events to her parents. They seemed genuinely happy for her, but not without some concerns.

"Do you know who this other girl is that he's been interested in?" Sabine asked. "Not one of your classmates, I hope?"

"I don't think that she is," evaded Marinette. "She's not, like, one of my close friends or anything. That could get weird very fast if it was."

"Indeed! Nothing breaks up friendships faster than mutual crushes," Tom agreed. "That's good if you can avoid that."

"So... yeah, I'm waiting to see what happens there, but I feel like I've _already_ won, you know?" Marinette ventured. "I wanted more than anything else to be closer to him, to feel special to him. And I feel like I'm there now, no matter what else happens! He's trying so hard not to hurt me _or_ her, whoever she is... so if I'm this close now, I think I'm staying there at a minimum. I don't know how long it'll take to get to... um..."

"...The kissy parts?" suggested Tom.

"Yeah, those," blushed Marinette. "And I do want those! _Wow_ , do I want those. But he's still unsure enough that I don't want to just fling myself at him."

In response to her parents' grins at her statement, she turned even redder. "And, _no_ , we don't need to discuss any of _that_ right now," she mumbled.

"I know we don't," Sabine assured her. "We've had The Talk, and I trust your judgment, and it's far too soon to even think about such things."

"And if you do get pressured to do something and you're not ready, you remember the ol' Dupain Uppercut I showed you, right?" her father added, half-teasingly.

That got Marinette laughing. "Yes, Dad. That and the Knee of Doom. I hope neither one gets tested out any time soon," she giggled.

"I highly doubt that they will be. Adrien has always seemed like the sweetest boy, someone very sensitive and gentle," smiled Sabine. "But from what I've seen in his eyes, there's one more thing you might have to get used to, Marinette."

"What's that?" she asked.

"Being chased, instead of doing the chasing," Sabine laughed. "The boy looks smitten to me."

"I sure hope so," grinned Marinette.

* * *

After piano, dinner and homework, Adrien sat at his desk, mustering up his willpower.

 _I do need to do this,_ he thought. _Somehow._

He stared at his computer keyboard, then at his phone, and dared himself to finish typing something _and_ send it on one or the other.

 _I was nervous doing about this before... and after today, it just got that much harder to do!_ _I crossed a big line with Marinette today, and I'm really happy that I did..._

 _...But did I do it too soon, before I know what Ladybug is really thinking?_

 _Marinette seemed... surprisingly cool, really, with the idea of taking it slow. But I'm pretty sure that 'slow' doesn't mean 'stop halfway there,' and it definitely doesn't mean 'end up being with someone else.' What happens if Ladybug is crazy about me, somehow? I can't even think about breaking Marinette's heart now that I know she likes me that much. That's not even an option._

 _Do I tell Ladybug "no?" Will I have to? Is it even physically possible for me to tell her "no?"_

 _Aw, am I kidding myself about Ladybug even THINKING about me like that? I probably am. And I'll look really egotistical and dumb if I bring it up and she's like "I'm just your friend, silly."_

 _But what if I did read the other night correctly? Ladybug's body language, her blushing, what she said, how she said it?_

 _I mean, it's not like being close with both of them would be bad. Nino was right about that. I'm going to need Marinette's sweetness in my life even if I end up dating Ladybug. And if I end up with Ladybug as a good friend and Marinette as my girlfriend... well, there's nothing wrong with that, either! That would be amazing, actually. The way I felt when Marinette accepted our date, that look on her face, that hug... every time I think about all of that, I just want more of all of it!_

 _So I _could_ just steer towards that. Play it safe. Ease off of Ladybug and keep falling for Marinette._

 _But I have to know for sure..._

The staring contest with his technology continued.

 _Type, you idiot._

* * *

"...So, that is where we stand," concluded Nathalie. "Adrien appears to have begun one relationship, however tentatively, and may well be considering another with your costumed nemesis."

Gabriel pondered this deeply... then rotated his desk chair away from Nathalie for a moment, with his back to her.

"Sir? Are you... I didn't mean to alarm you..." began Nathalie, concerned.

She heard a quiet sound coming from Gabriel... then a louder one, and it was something she was generally unaccustomed to hearing from him.

 _He's LAUGHING!_

"You are telling me," guffawed Gabriel, rotating back around, "that my son is setting up a potential love triangle... involving himself, a close lady friend, and _Ladybug?"_

"It appears so," she confirmed.

"You know... part of me had once considered letting Adrien in on my little family secret," Gabriel laughed, trying to catch his breath and mostly failing. "Perhaps even give him one of the Miraculous, once I have captured the Ladybug and the Cat. But now I may just have to give him the Moth, because he's doing my job better than I am!"

"So all is well for now?" asked Nathalie, now smiling with a little more confidence.

"Yes, yes! By all means, allow my son to dig this hole himself. The boy could use some pleasant diversions for the time being; good lord, he is earning them right now." Gabriel regained most of his composure. "I am prepared to follow this as it goes, and even to encourage it. We will pick off whichever piece ends up crestfallen at the end of it and use it to snare the other two."

As Nathalie looked on, Gabriel resumed his more thoughtful demeanor. "This Miss Dupain-Cheng... Marinette... she is not unknown to me," he mused. "As I recall, she was the winner of that Derby Hat competition we sponsored through Françoise Dupont... the one that Adrien wore the day when that dreadful Bourgeois woman attacked him."

"And she was Clara Nightingale's choice as Ladybug in her video with Adrien, wasn't she?" Nathalie added.

"Pfft," Gabriel sniffed. "That is of no importance. But design skill potential, however raw and unpolished at this stage... that, I notice. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I had penciled in her name as a possible match for Adrien down the road."

"...What?" he asked, seeing Nathalie's startled face. "Not as a permanent match, obviously; Adrien is intended for someone of a much higher profile. But in a few years, I had imagined that I could persuade Adrien to romance some talented young designers on my behalf, so as to bring them into the company. Time will tell on that, and he's simply jumped the gun on approaching this one."

He continued, ignoring Nathalie's shocked _He just SAID THAT OUT LOUD!_ facial expression. "Thank you, Nathalie. That will be all for now; please keep me informed as this develops."

As she left the room, she heard Gabriel break into laughter again, and shivered, involuntarily. _Somehow he sounds more like a supervillain NOW than when he's actually in costume,_ she thought to herself.

* * *

That evening, Marinette busied herself around her room, making multiple sets of plans for a date that hadn't been planned yet, so that she'd be ready for whatever and whenever. Outfit combinations, makeup choices, accessories, the perfect thing to say, the perfect way to say it, even getting her smile _just_ right in the mirror...

Tikki looked on with some amusement. "You'd better get some chaps, in case he decides on a rodeo date," she noted, wryly. "Maybe a black leather catsuit, too."

Marinette was halfway to her computer to look up what chaps cost before Tikki's teasing sunk in. "Very funny," she grumped. "I just really want to get this right when it happens..."

"Adrien himself said you're getting far more than one shot at this, didn't he?" Tikki replied. "Spoiler alert: he likes you already, just as you are!"

"Of course he does. But I'm ninety percent of the way there, so I want to stick the dismount, don't I?" giggled Marinette.

A *BA-BLOOP!* noise from her computer got Marinette's immediate attention, and she dashed over to it.

"What was that, an incoming email?" asked Tikki.

"An email on _that_ account."

"Ohhhh," grinned Tikki. "By all means, then, continue."

Marinette opened up Ladybug's email account, and saw:

 **To my guardian angel,**

 **Would you be free some time Saturday or Sunday? I have some news to pass on, a space reserved on my couch, and another Marx Brothers movie waiting to be watched together.**

 **Let me know when it's convenient for you; I can plan around your schedule, or around whatever fifty-foot monster's trying to eat Paris next. There's something that I need to talk to you about, and I really can't wait to see you again.**

 **\- Adrien**

"Hah!" laughed Tikki, looking over Marinette's shoulder. "Told you."

"Told me what?" muttered Marinette, still processing Adrien's request.

"He'd like you to turn into you and come see him, because he can't wait to see you again, but he also needs to talk to you about whether he'll be dating you, you, or you _and_ you, because he's also crazy about _you_ ," the Kwami giggled. "Clear enough?"

Marinette did the mental math, then made a face. "Yeah, but what if he wants a double date, hmmm? Did you think about that?" she asked.

Now Tikki looked confused. "How would that work?" she asked.

"Him, me, you, and the fifty-foot monster. A dinner date, and Paris is dinner," Marinette grinned.

"That could work. You two get a nice restaurant, I'll handle the bakeries, and the monster eats the rest," giggled Tikki. "Now, whatever am _I_ going to wear?"

* * *

Adrien flopped over on his bed, unable to get comfortable. He'd practiced his latest piano piece until it echoed in his ears, he'd browsed the Ladyblog for half an hour and mentally noted a dozen edits to make to Chat Noir's main entry, he'd talked Plagg's ears off about Marinette until _Plagg_ had started browsing the Ladyblog...

Luckily, Plagg wasn't the only friend available for comment, even at the relatively late hour.

 **[Nino] Dude, you finally asked her? All right!**

 **[Nino] Maybe we can double-date sometime.**

 **[Adrien] ...Aren't you even going to ask if she said yes?**

 **[Nino] Do I need to?**

 **[Adrien] A couple of weeks ago, I'd have said so. Shows what I know. :)**

 **[Nino] I wanted to tell you, but you know... it wasn't my thing to say?**

 **[Adrien] I get that. I just wish I'd paid attention to what should've been obvious!**

 **[Nino] Have you thought more about the other thing we talked about?**

 **[Adrien] The other person, you mean? Going slow with both?**

 **[Nino] Yeah.**

 **[Adrien] You're not going to believe this. I mentioned that to Marinette... and she GUESSED who it was!**

 **[Nino] Wait WHAT**

 **[Adrien] She knew that I like Ladybug! It's amazing how intuitive she is.**

 **[Nino] Yeah! Intuitive. That's it.**

 **[Nino] So... did she freak?**

 **[Adrien] No... surprisingly enough.**

 **[Adrien] I said I wasn't sure how LB felt, but I didn't want to maybe leave her hanging, like I'd left Marinette hanging.**

 **[Adrien] And I apologized 36 times for THAT.**

 **[Adrien] And I guess that struck a chord with her. She said I was sweet for not wanting to hurt either of them.**

 **[Nino] Huh. I wasn't sure how she'd react.. but that's Marinette.**

 **[Nino] So you got lucky that way. How about the other?**

 **[Adrien] I emailed her. I'll see what she says. I'm keeping my window open just in case!**

 **[Nino] Hahahaha**

 **[Nino] Can't blame you there!**

* * *

Another incoming text got Adrien's full attention:

 **[LB] Hey, I got your email. Is everything all right?**

Adrien responded quickly to Nino:

 **[Adrien] She just texted me! Gotta go, I'll keep you posted!**

 **[Adrien] We'll get together sometime this weekend and talk.**

 **[Nino] Sounds good. Good luck, bro!**

* * *

With his heart pounding, Adrien returned Ladybug's text:

 **[Adrien] Yes, thank you, no emergency. What I wanted to talk about can wait.**

 **[LB] So I shouldn't come flying through your window tonight?**

 **[Adrien] Well, that's up to YOU. ;)**

 **[LB] Ha! Maybe you shouldn't tempt me like that. You never know...**

 **[Adrien] That one window stays open a crack from now on. Just saying!**

 **[LB] If you wake up with something drawn on your forehead, I know nothing.**

 **[Adrien] Hahahahaha!**

 **[LB] So what is going on? I saw "something I need to talk to you about" and worried a little.**

 **[Adrien] It's something good, actually... at least I hope you'll think it's good. It can wait until I see you.**

 **[LB] You'd rather not tell me now?**

 **[Adrien] Probably better said in person.**

 **[LB] Okay, next time that I visit, then. I like surprises.**

 **[LB] And Marx Brothers movies. :)**

* * *

Adrien thought for a moment, then worried that he'd disturbed her needlessly...

 **[Adrien] I didn't take you out of something, did I?**

 **[LB] Actually, no... I was just thinking about you, but I'm not doing anything special right now.**

 **[LB] Lounging in my room at the moment.**

 **[Adrien] Heh. Another case of "well, why wouldn't she be? Of course she has a room," but it's still hard to picture!**

 **[LB] And before you ask "What are you wearing," it's not my spots! Some simple pajamas and slippers.**

 **[Adrien] I feel faint.**

 **[LB] Oh, you! I'm just an ordinary girl, with an ordinary life. Trust me, it's nothing exciting!**

 **[Adrien] I'm not imagining anything you couldn't show your mother, if that helps...**

 **[Adrien] Just the idea of Ladybug chatting with me, sitting in her room, getting ready for bed, perfectly casual.**

 **[Adrien] Do you ever do that with anyone else?**

 **[LB] Some of my girlfriends, sometimes... but they don't know I'm Ladybug, of course!**

 **[LB] You're the first one I've talked to like this, who knows me and talks to me as Ladybug.**

 **[Adrien] I'm honored! I really am.**

 **[LB] You're sweet, is what you are. That's why you're reading this.**

* * *

The conversation floated along for the next hour or so, on a variety of light topics.

 **[LB] Listen, I probably should get some sleep soon... but it was great talking to you!**

 **[LB] Would tomorrow afternoon or early evening work for you? I have some family stuff in the morning.**

 **[Adrien] By all means. Send me a text before you come over so I'll know to watch for you.**

 **[LB] It's a date! Good night, and pleasant dreams 'til then!**

 **[Adrien] You too. Good night!**

* * *

"Well, aren't you the socialite! Setting up two dates in one day!"

Adrien flipped over and swatted at Plagg, who floated away giggling. "This one isn't a DATE date... is it? It's just getting together for a movie, and to talk," Adrien protested.

"Why... do you want it to be one?" asked Plagg.

"That's... a good question," replied Adrien, giving that more thought than he'd anticipated. "I'm really not sure now."

He slumped back down with his head on his pillow. "The idea of dating anyone other than Ladybug... it still seems so strange to me. I've been focused on her for so long that she's second nature to me. And it's one thing to think about moving on when Ladybug tells me right to my mask that she's not interested, you know? It's another thing when she felt like she was flirting _back_ at me."

Adrien's grin slid back into place quickly, however. "But as strongly as Marinette responded... and as wonderful as _she_ is... I'll be honest, Plagg. I don't feel at all like I'd be settling in any way if I get serious with Marinette. She's nobody's consolation prize; she's right there, and she's _amazing,_ and she likes me, and I like her. So much! And I feel like a complete _jerk_ even considering anyone else now that I know how she feels."

"Well, let me put it this way," the Kwami mused. _I have to word this carefully,_ he thought. "Marinette really is someone special, and yeah, she seems crazy about you. And she'd be _so good_ for you in so many ways. And if you end up with her as your girlfriend and Ladybug stays just friends, there's nothing wrong with that!"

Plagg paused, watching Adrien acknowledge his first statement. "But Ladybug is special, too. And I know what it's like to want someone for so long and she's just out of reach. If Ladybug's flirting with you, that's what you've always wanted, right? It's got to be killing you to even think of turning that down. And maybe you don't have to yet."

 _"You_ know how that feels, Plagg?" asked Adrien, with a little wonder.

"How old am I? Adrien, I was going through heartbreak before your _language_ was invented. But that's beside the point," continued Plagg. "The only reason you feel like you were hurting Marinette was that you didn't know how _she_ felt. Well, now you do, and if she's trusting you with her heart, you'll take good care of it. Even if you end up giving it back to her, you'd do it gently, right?"

"You know I would. She'll never be just a friend again," smiled Adrien. "Wherever this leads."

"Good. Because you _need_ to keep Marinette close. That one's unique," grinned Plagg. "But what you _don't_ know yet is what Ladybug wants. And until you know that, you're not making a decision based on all the facts. And Nino was right; if Ladybug is okay keeping it casual, you might just get to date both until one of them leaps out at you as your steady girl."

Adrien sighed. "This was so much easier when Ladybug was just my partner, a little red fireball that made me melt and then disappeared with a smile until the next Akuma. The more she reaches out to me as a _girl_ , not as a hero... I feel confused. Good confused, not bad confused, if that makes sense," he said. "She's more fleshed out as a whole person this way. And I really do like it, and I want to know more, but it's also so much more complicated."

"If women weren't complicated, would you be chasing after them?" Plagg quipped. "That's half the fun. That's why you're chasing after two of the best, instead of some random model who'd just sit at your feet and adore you."

"Good point," Adrien chuckled. "And they have one other thing in common, too... I kind of get the feeling that even though she certainly has friends, and her parents seem great, Marinette knows a little bit about feeling lonely. She told me that she'd never dated anyone or had a boyfriend. Well... Ladybug said the same thing! And with the mask complicating things, it's got to be even harder for _her_ to get to know people well."

"Where are you headed with that?" asked Plagg, warily.

"Look at how Ladybug and I were just texting back and forth, talking about everyday things, and she said she doesn't normally get to do something as simple as that. Or how she said she sometimes feels isolated as Ladybug, that night at the park. Ladybug really needs a good friend, Plagg, one that I can't entirely be as Chat Noir. Whether that's a _close_ _friend_ or a _boyfriend_ , we'll see, but I want to be that for her. And the same goes for Marinette! I want to always be there for her, whether that ends up as like, love, or somewhere in between. She's so emotionally giving as a person... she needs to get as well as give."

"That's... very thoughtful of you, Adrien," Plagg acknowledged. "Not easy. But admirable. I really like that."

 _GOOD,_ Plagg thought to himself. _He wants to bend over backwards to protect both their hearts. That's perfect, because he doesn't know that if he breaks one of them, he loses them both!_

Adrien glanced down at his phone. "And speaking of that... if you'll pardon me, it looks like someone else is awake, too."

"Sure, I won't eavesdrop. Especially if it's going to be one of _those_ kinds of phone calls," laughed Plagg, flying away.

"It won't be," called Adrien.

 _Actually... I'm not even sure what THOSE kinds of phone calls are,_ he thought.

* * *

In Marinette's room, Tikki floated over once Marinette's text conversation was done. "Hey, I wanted to talk with you for a minute, before things get too crazy," said Tikki, gently.

"Oh? Oh, sure, Tikki!" Marinette replied, making room on her bed for her tiny companion. "What's on your mind?"

"I am genuinely happy for you and Adrien. I think you'll make beautiful music together, and I'm so glad that he's finally noticed how caring and devoted you are. But the thing about 'I want to see how this other person feels, too...' Are you _sure_ that you're okay with that?" asked Tikki.

"Well, yeah, because I know _I'm_ the other person! If he'd said 'I want to ask Kagami how she feels first,' or someone like that, I'd be a complete wreck. I won't lie about _that,_ " answered Marinette. "Or if he'd flat-out rejected me but he still had eyes for Ladybug... that could hurt a lot. But he didn't! He seems like he's really interested in me now - as _Marinette_ \- and that's what I've always wanted. And it's consistent; he likes me and he likes my other side, and that makes me feel really good."

"So if he does pick Ladybug..." prompted Tikki.

"...It would be because I left that open as an option, wouldn't it?" Marinette argued. "If I wanted to, I could let him down easy as Ladybug next time I see him, and he'd fall right into my arms as Marinette. I'm not all the way sure that's what I want to do yet!"

"And why is that?" Tikki asked. "Adrien falling into your arms sounds _exactly_ like what you've wanted all along."

"Oh, it is, it is!" emphasized Marinette. "And I want him to keep falling there, because believe me, I'll catch him! But the way he's been around Ladybug lately..."

Marinette took a deep breath. "How do I explain this? It's for a few reasons. One is that he feels like he's... flirtier with Ladybug so far. His heart beats just a little faster when I'm Ladybug. And it's easier for me to flirt back that way, at least so far! I don't know why; maybe it's the secret identity thing, that I have the mask to hide behind, a sense of mystery, less fear of rejection or failure... and it's not like I'm playing with his heart if I flirt that way, because the girl underneath really does love him!"

She paused. "That didn't come out like I wanted it to. It's not a game, either way. It's still me and Adrien... just a different aspect of me. And today with him, in detention and after... that felt absolutely _wonderful!_ But just a little different than it did on his couch the other night, when I almost kissed him and I think he almost kissed me! And I'm still kind of exploring why that is, and how I can get both of those from him in one package."

"Another thing... you saw how much he apologized for 'leaving me hanging,' Tikki," she continued. "He didn't know how I felt. Well, I _know_ how he feels about Ladybug! And I don't want to just dismiss that any more than he wanted to dismiss Ladybug's feelings, even if he wasn't sure that they're there."

Tikki nodded, appreciatively. "Which is very considerate of you."

"And just now... Tikki, I know that I can always talk to you about Ladybug stuff, obviously... But it felt really good just now talking with Adrien _as_ Ladybug. I still have to hide a lot of things from him that way, of course; I have to keep those lives separate. But for someone to understand that and _still_ want to be closer to Ladybug, to share with her, to be open to things that she can share, just to talk about everyday things like that... that's pretty rare, and it's really sweet, and right now I can't get enough of him like that." Marinette gave her friend a soft smile. "Does any of that make sense to you?"

"You seem like you've thought this out, which is good. I won't push you one way or the other; you know what your heart is telling you," smiled Tikki. "But the best plans sometimes go crazy when you try them out, and I'm here whenever you need me."

"I know," beamed Marinette, "and I love you for that."

Marinette's phone picked that moment to beep:

 **[Adrien] Hi! Are you still awake?**

"Speak of the devil," grinned Tikki. "I'll give you some privacy..."

* * *

 **[Marinette] Yes, I am! Hello!**

 **[Marinette] Surprised to see you up this late...**

 **[Adrien] Well, it's not a school night, nothing modeling-related scheduled for tomorrow...**

 **[Adrien] How about you?**

 **[Marinette] Oh, I had a pretty exciting day today! I'm still cooling down from that.**

 **[Adrien] Should I take that as a compliment?**

 **[Marinette] You'd better! :)**

 **[Marinette] Can you talk out loud right now?**

 **[Adrien] Sure.**

 **[Marinette] Call me! Easier to talk that way. I'll silence my ringer so my parents don't hear.**

* * *

 _That's one thing I need to figure out how to handle, before he calls my other phone!_ Marinette giggled to herself. _I don't want him noticing that Ladybug and Marinette's phone voices are the same._

A moment later, she picked up her incoming call...

"Hi! What a nice surprise!" Marinette told Adrien's smiling face.

"I was awake, I was thinking of you, you were awake, here I am," he grinned. "Plus, I wanted to do something I'd never done before."

"And what's that?" she asked.

"Call a pretty girl after midnight so that I can hear her giggle," Adrien said.

Marinette couldn't help it; her laughter rang out. "Stop, you, my parents will hear me if I'm too loud!" she chided him. "But I am glad that you called. I was thinking about you, too."

"Good. I like it when we match," he smiled. "Have you told anyone about today yet?"

"Just my parents, and they're thrilled. They really like you, you know," Marinette replied. "That runs in the family."

"I told Nino, so I'm amazed that your phone isn't ringing like crazy," said Adrien. "He must not have told Alya yet."

"I figured that I'd spring that on her tomorrow. Maybe take a night to make sure I know what I'm going to tell her!" answered Marinette.

"Why is that?" asked Adrien. "They won't be _that_ surprised, will they? I mean, maybe we took the long way around to dating, but they've seen us getting a lot closer lately..."

"Oh, you know. They'll be amazed that I finally told you..."

"Told me what, exactly?" Adrien grinned.

"YOU know!" protested Marinette, turning red. "What we talked about today!"

"Ohhh. _That_ little thing," laughed Adrien. "I think that what'll amaze them more is that I was finally aware enough to realize how _I_ feel."

"And how is that?" asked Marinette, teasingly. "How _do_ you feel, Adrien?"

"You know! What we talked about today," he teased back, and they laughed together.

* * *

Once again, the conversation danced here and there over some time...

 _This feels so natural,_ thought Marinette. _It's like a huge weight taken off from around my neck... without the pressure of trying to win him over, I can breathe, I can think, I can laugh with him so much more easily!_

Around one in the morning, Marinette yawned loudly. "I do need to get some sleep... can you tuck me in, Adrien?" she asked.

"If I could crawl through this phone, I sure would," he replied. "Should I sing you a lullaby?"

"That's up to you," giggled Marinette. "How's your singing voice?"

"Not very good. I'll warn you that up front. And I need to get some sleep, too... tomorrow's going to be... um..." he trailed off.

"It's what? Have you got a hot date planned, or something?" teased Marinette, gently.

"That, uh, kind of slipped out," he admitted. "I think Ladybug's coming over so that she and I can talk. I still feel bad even bringing her up with you."

"It's okay, Adrien," soothed Marinette. "Let me ask you something. One way or the other, are we going to stay closer like this?"

"Absolutely. For as long as you'll have me," Adrien replied, quickly.

"Then talk to Ladybug. I'm sure she'll say 'talk to Marinette,' too." Marinette's voice surprised Adrien by sounding happy and fearless. "Tell her I said hello. Maybe sometime this week, we'll get together and figure out a little more about you and I, too?"

Adrien was nearly glowing. "Count on that. You're one in a million, you know that?" he replied.

"I sure hope not. That means there are at least a few of me, and that's just in Paris," she laughed.

"Sweet dreams, Marinette," Adrien said, with an adoring expression on his face.

"You too," she purred, and blew him a tiny kiss before hanging up.

* * *

Adrien laid back on his pillow, with mixed emotions running through him.

 _I cannot believe that Marinette is so CALM about Ladybug being in my life, knowing what she knows!_ he thought. _If Marinette told me that she really liked me, but she had to talk to, say, Luka before she could date me... I'd be pulling my hair out! To be that close to something so great and then maybe see it go another direction completely... that'd scare the heck out of me._

 _I don't know if I could handle that. Then again, before Ladybug, I didn't know that I could have feelings this intense... for one person, let alone for two!_

 _But Marinette brushed it off like she's happy however it turns out... however_ _WE turn out. Even though she's had feelings for me all along! I know that now!_

 _WHY?_

 _Either she knows something about Ladybug that I don't... or..._

The second possibility choked Adrien up a little bit with emotion.

 _Or she wants me to be my happiest, even if it's not being in love with her. That she'd sacrifice what SHE wants if it turns out that I want someone else._

 _"I have no idea why I am not totally in love with Marinette Dupain-Cheng," I told myself the other morning. Well, I'm a HELL of a lot closer to that now! Just the idea that she might be willing to think like that, to settle for less than she wants for my benefit, is exactly why I... shouldn't let her, if it's true. If I let Marinette slip through my fingers, I might regret it for the rest of my life._

 _And maybe Ladybug will take that out of my hands tomorrow, and just want to stay friends._

 _But if she doesn't...! SHE'S been so sweet to me during all of this, too. She's opened up to me in ways that Chat's never seen. In ways I've always dreamed of seeing her!_

He closed his eyes... and two blue-eyed visions competed for the foreground, each one coupled with pleasant memories, warm emotions, and increasingly intense longings on his part.

 _She's everything I could ever ask for..._

 _...They both are._

 _The right path is in front of me. I just wish I knew which one it is._

His eyes snapped wide open once more, and seemed intent on staying that way for a while.

 _And that I knew what the heck I'm going to say to Ladybug tomorrow._

* * *

Marinette turned out her light and laid down, her head hitting her pillow with a very contented smile.

 _This may have been the best day of my life!_ she thought, warm sensations running from head to toe. _I have my Adrien! I hear that sweetness and those yearnings in his voice and I'm just a puddle. I know that he truly likes me as myself AND as Ladybug. It felt so great to talk to him like that for hours, with no nervousness, BOTH ways, like we were made for each other._

 _And after we spend time together and have our talk tomorrow, I'll either be his girlfriend... or his girlfriend... or his potential GIRLFRIENDS,_ she giggled to herself.

 _It all depends on which way he'd rather go. I want to respect his feelings, too. Now he's heard one side of the story... and tomorrow, he'll hear the other, and we'll see where we land._

 _Oh, I can't wait for tomorrow! I have a feeling that it's going to be so much fun..._

* * *

Next time:

* Classic comedy and a little musical magic.

* Red and black and even redder... for real, this time.

* We... didn't quite get to that dark and stormy night in this chapter, so that's where it'll be! But not all storms are destructive.

* "It... always was."

* "Just... come here. Please. Come here."

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

This chapter was going to be the setup for Ladybug's second visit to Adrien's room... AND the visit itself. But we didn't quite make it there at this point in the draft, and I'm staring at my word count and thinking "if I add in everything that I _want_ to add into this chapter, it won't get posted 'til March and it'll be 15000 words long."

So Chapters 8 and 9 will be sort of 8a and 8b, if you get my drift. I promise that the next installment will be worth the short wait. Stay tuned!


	9. Boom!

Someone To Watch Over Me, Chapter 9: BOOM!

* * *

As he turned the corner into the main dining room on Saturday morning, Adrien blinked twice, then rubbed his eyes to make sure that he wasn't seeing things.

"Well! So you _do_ still eat breakfast with the commoners," he smiled at the distinguished-looking gentleman sitting at the end of the table.

"So you do still _want_ me to," his father replied, dryly. "Good morning, Adrien."

"I don't remember ever keeping you away," Adrien retorted, taking a seat near him. "Quite the opposite, in fact. Any special occasion?"

"Do I need one? No, there is not. However, I do have a couple of things that I would like to discuss, if you are amenable?" Gabriel asked.

"Of course," nodded Adrien, as his breakfast platter was placed before him. "What's on your mind?"

"For starters... you and I?"

Adrien gave him an enigmatic look in return. _Let's see where you're going with this..._

* * *

The kitchen table at Marinette's house was a lot less tense... though just as full of questions.

"So," Sabine began, as she watched her sleepy-eyed daughter dig into her eggs and toast. "How late were you up last night talking to Adrien?"

Marinette looked up with a bit of surprise. "How did you know that I was... could you hear me? I didn't think we were that loud..." she asked.

"Of course not, dear. I didn't know... until you just told me," grinned Sabine.

 _Heh,_ thought Marinette. _Should've seen that one coming - she's the one who taught me that trick!_

"Around one, I think?" she admitted. "I'll pin my eyes open when I'm working on those cookies this morning, I promise."

"Oh, I'm not lecturing you. I was just curious. I was young once, too... and it wasn't THAT long ago."

"Of course not," grinned Marinette. "It wasn't anything major, just talking about a little bit of everything... for some reason, we were a little too excited to fall right to sleep."

"I'll bet!" her mother replied. "If it works out like you're hoping it will... would you be his first girlfriend?" she added, lightly.

"I think so," Marinette said. "I'm sure of it, actually; he told me that he's never dated before. His father's kept him on a pretty tight leash."

"Have you met his father? I know you told me about how something happened to his mother," Sabine asked.

 _Well... there was that one time that I returned the Guardians' Book of Lore to him, and he didn't look too happy with me then..._ thought Marinette.

"Briefly," she replied, cautiously. "He might remember me from the Derby Hat competition, the one that Adrien wore that day on the runway? And we've seen each other in passing, but I've never, like, sat down and talked with him. I wouldn't really expect to, he's quite the bigwig in the fashion industry, so I doubt that I registered with him."

"You might be surprised by that," noted Sabine. "If you do end up dating Adrien, I'd count on his wanting to meet you. Be ready for that. And by ready, I mean don't be _nervous_ about that. He may be rich and famous, but you're an amazing young woman and he'll see that right away."

"I hope so," blushed Marinette. "If I can get a word out of my mouth around him without stuttering."

* * *

Adrien toyed with his fork on his breakfast plate, a bit nervously.

"I spoke with Nathalie last night," Gabriel began. "I may not always have the wherewithal to keep a close eye on you, Adrien, but I assure you that I am always interested in your well-being. When we had our... altercation on Thursday, that surprised me quite a bit; it was quite out-of-character for you. So I took some time to reflect on what brought that on."

He gave Adrien a meaningful look. "And whether I myself have been out-of-character lately. And I do believe that I have."

Adrien took a deep breath. "I didn't want to jump right out and say that... but I have noticed that," he said. "In a number of ways."

Gabriel sighed. "Then I need to apologize to you, and to explain myself. There have been a number of things on my mind recently, none of which justify mistreating my only son."

He folded his hands in front of him. "Business has been going through some intense negotiations over the last two months. We're landing some new contracts, negotiating over terms, trying to keep certain clients in line... and I am sure that I do not need to go over all of that in detail, nor would you want me to! It's hardly anything new and surprising. But it is an element of where my mind has been recently," he began.

"Another factor is... your mother," Gabriel said, watching Adrien carefully. "She and I had an anniversary around this time, the first day that we had met. It is a very fond memory of mine, and it's something that's been weighing on me very heavily over the last week."

He watched emotions cross over Adrien's face, and added, "And I know just how much you still miss her, as well. I would do anything in my power to bring her back, and I know that you would, too."

"Of course I would," said Adrien, causing Gabriel to submerge a small and knowing smirk.

"And when it comes to you... you have always known that I hold you to very high standards, Adrien. Not unfair standards... most of the time... but ones keeping in accordance with your talents, your gifts, and your status. You are a young man of extreme potential, both by birth and by skill," Gabriel continued. "I will continue to push you to fulfill that potential, but when I push too hard, I must never make you feel like you cannot push back. If I have done that, I apologize for that."

"Th-hank you, Father," Adrien managed. "And I apologize for snapping at you and at Nathalie yesterday, and I will apologize to her when I see her. She caught me at a very emotional moment, and I reacted without taking a moment to think about it."

"Which I do understand. You are at a very difficult age, Adrien..." noted Gabriel, "And I do not mean by that that you are being intentionally difficult! But one goes through so many changes around fourteen and fifteen. Physical, emotional, social... I do wish that I had your mother here to help me guide you through it all. I know that I am not an easy person to lean upon... but I will try to be available when I may."

"I appreciate that, Father. I will keep that in mind," smiled Adrien.

"And speaking of changes..." Gabriel added, sneaking in a forkful of eggs. "What's this I hear about a young lady friend?"

* * *

"So have you set a date yet?" asked Sabine.

"A date?" _You mean for our wedding? And our house with the white picket fence and the three adorable children and the hamster and the -_

"For your first big date, silly," Sabine chuckled. "Or any other get-together plans?"

"Well... he did ask if I could come over this afternoon or early evening and hang out," said Marinette. "Obviously, I'll get the bakery work done first..."

"Do what you can to help, but we're not going to lock you up if you don't finish every little bit," her mother replied. "Are his people coming to pick you up, or do you want me to drive you?"

"Oh! Um..." Marinette thought fast. _Can't say "I'm going by yo-yo..."_ She replied, "Actually, I thought I'd just ride my bike over?"

"You don't have to do that!" said Sabine, with a hand on her hip. "I'd be happy to take you over there. Besides, isn't it supposed to rain tonight?"

"Well, I'll make sure that I get back before it does. Or, worst case, I'll see if they can drop me off, and then I'll go pick up my bike from there tomorrow. A good reason for a return visit," she giggled.

"Not that you've thought this through, or anything," Sabine smirked. "Okay, but watch the weather, okay? I heard it might get pretty nasty for a while later."

* * *

Adrien turned crimson, causing his father to laugh out loud. "Oh, come now, Adrien! That's nothing to be embarrassed about. Frankly, with all of the models and whatnot running around the business, I had expected one to catch your eye before now."

"The girl you were told about... she's not one of our models," explained Adrien. "She _is_ very pretty, but in more of a natural way than..."

"I know precisely of whom you speak, Adrien; your dark-haired classmate in pigtails, yes? The derby hat girl?" Gabriel asked. "And, yes, she is attractive. Please tell me more about her."

For some reason, Adrien felt a bit wary. "...What would you like to know?" he replied.

"Oh, many things. What is Marinette like as a person? What are her interests? What made her finally obtain your full attention, or you hers?" smiled Gabriel. "What did you _think_ I was going to ask?"

"I... I really wasn't sure what you would ask," admitted Adrien. "This is sort of uncharted territory for me."

"Adrien, my son, do I seem like the kind of person who would tell you whom you may and may not spend your time with? Or whom you are allowed to romance?" said Gabriel, disingenuously. "I know you well enough to trust that you have excellent taste in such matters, and that she must be someone with the proper charm and discretion. But yours is not an easy head to turn. Tell me, how did she turn it?"

 _I need to be very delicate with what I say here,_ thought Adrien. _You only get one shot at a first impression... and this is it!_

"Well," he began...

* * *

"Good morning, Dad," Marinette called as she entered the bakery's kitchen. "Whoa! Let me help you with that!" She saw him struggling with a large tray of boxed goods, enough to tax even Tom's oversized frame, and she dashed over to pluck several of them off the top of the pile.

"You didn't have to - I had it - okay, I think I had it," Tom grinned, sheepishly. "Far table. Thank you."

"No problem. Once I'm done working on the cupcakes and the Carmichaels' birthday cake, what else can I help with?" asked Marinette, setting the boxes down carefully.

"Not a whole lot. I wouldn't want to keep you from your lovebird," he teased her.

"Daaaad..." she grinned. "He's not quite that yet, I explained that. And I have the morning and early afternoon to help; he invited me over after that."

"What, for supper?" asked Tom.

"Actually... I think just to hang out and talk and grin at each other this time. We didn't really make specific plans. It was late and I haven't talked to him yet today," Marinette clarified.

"Fair enough. I'll be needed here at the store, but your mother can-"

"She already offered to play taxi, and I told her that I'm fine on my bike," grinned Marinette. "I'll be careful and not too late, I promise."

"If you'd like to invite _him_ over for supper some night... let me know the day before or so, and I'll make you two a dessert like even _you've_ never seen," offered Tom. "I'm looking forward to getting to know him better."

"You know, I think he'd like that!" she agreed. "I'll see what he says tonight."

"Good. And, Marinette?" Tom called, as she moved over towards the stack of cupcakes awaiting her designs. "You're probably more comfortable asking your mother about certain things, but... if you ever need some advice on Adrien, let me know, okay? I was a boy once. I have some working knowledge of that."

"I promise, I will," Marinette smiled back, as she picked out a frosting gun. "Now, this first batch needed pink and white rosettes, right?"

* * *

"Marinette was one of the first good friends I made at Françoise Dupont," began Adrien. "She's a truly remarkable person."

Adrien gave his father an abbreviated rundown of his history with Marinette, and of the many experiences they had shared during the school year to date.

"She might be the most empathetic person I've ever met. She has an amazing knack for knowing when others around her are feeling down, and finding just the right way to make them feel better. Even Chloé, although Chloé would rather eat a bug than admit it," smiled Adrien. "You've seen some of her design talent, and honestly, I'd like you to see more of that, if you wouldn't mind sometime. She draws quite well, she's a wizard with a video game controller, she nearly made the fencing team with no experience, she designed an album cover for Jagged Stone..."

"A prominent musician let a schoolgirl do _that?"_ marveled Gabriel. "Did she win a contest for the privilege, or something of that nature?"

"Not at all. He met her, he saw what she was capable of, and he commissioned her to draw it for him. At fourteen!" Adrien's enthusiasm was obvious and sincere.

"Hmmph!" noted Gabriel, impressed despite himself. "Music like Mr. Stone's makes me itch... but at her age, that _is_ quite an accomplishment. Quite the prodigy, hmmm?"

"Though she be but little, she is fierce," quoted Adrien, drawing a smile from Gabriel at the Shakespearean allusion. "But modest, as well. She's proud of all the things she does, but she's also the kind of person who shares glory but shoulders blame. She's always putting others first, and picking up anyone who gets knocked down. She's a perfect team player, and she absolutely loathes people who push others down for their own benefit."

"Clearly, Marinette has been on your radar for quite some time, Adrien," Gabriel wondered. "And rightly so, it seems. So what changed to make you... fully notice her, or vice versa, if you know what I mean?"

"Actually... I hate to say it this way, but you had something to do with that," conceded Adrien.

* * *

"Oh?" said Gabriel, some of his sternness returning to his visage. "Now, that you should explain."

"When I was at my... lowest point this past week over things going on between us," admitted Adrien, his face turning red, "Marinette noticed. She pulled me aside to let me know that she could tell something was very wrong, and asked what there was that she could do to help, because she was very worried about me. That touched me very much. So we've gotten together several times to talk since then, and now I can't stop thinking about her. Nino hinted to me that she might have feelings for me... so I tested the waters, and it turns out that she does. And that's how Nathalie saw us holding hands and grinning like idiots yesterday."

"Good for you, Adrien," Gabriel replied, with at least some sincerity behind it. "I mean that. She sounds like a wonderful young woman, and I'd like to meet her properly sometime. Though that only answers part of my question... why only now, and not long before this?"

"I was blind?" Adrien said, helplessly. "And there was... another girl who's been on my mind, the other person who did so much to help me through all of this. I've had a crush on her for months now, and I couldn't see past that."

"And who was that?"

Now Adrien was approaching maroon. "Do I really have to say it out loud?" he asked. "I'll give you a hint. When that Akuma came after me the other day... she's the one who caught it."

* * *

To Adrien's surprise, Gabriel only showed the slightest flicker of hesitation, and seemed to take it mostly in stride.

"Well, clearly, you're consistent. You aim quite high... as well you should!" his father smiled. "And, apparently, your 'type' involves pigtails."

"That's a coincidence, I'm positive," laughed Adrien, nervously. "Though any girl that catches me when I'm falling off a skyscraper is definitely my type."

Gabriel winced slightly, remembering that incident. "All right. So how does Ladybug work into this equation?" he asked.

"I've had a place in my heart for Ladybug for a long time now," he admitted. "It had never been more than that, obviously; I only get to see her when Akumas are around me, and I'm glad that's not very often! But, anyway... she lucked into catching the first Akuma that came after me, and we had a long talk, and we've kept in touch since. She even came to visit me a couple of nights ago, to see how I was feeling."

"That answers one question," mused Gabriel. "How you had a houseguest who didn't use the front OR back door. You will inform her that she is a welcome guest here, I hope?"

"She... wasn't trying to sneak in, honest! She wanted to surprise me. And, wow, she did," Adrien backpedaled. "So we watched a movie and talked, and it turns out that we have quite a bit in common. We hit it off very well, and maybe I was just seeing what I wanted to see... but it felt like there might be something else there."

"Most interesting..." Gabriel grinned. "Tell me, what did she tell you about herself? I must admit, I am quite curious."

"Well... not _that_ much," explained Adrien. "There's only so much she can say, obviously. Like, I'll probably never know her real name, or where she lives, or anything like that. But things like her taste in music, in movies, general getting-to-know-each-other stuff... we're getting to be good friends, fast. And I'm kind of holding off getting serious with Marinette until I find out more about Ladybug's feelings... and I feel like a complete _jerk_ about that."

"You do?" asked his father, keeping a straight face. "It is still early yet between you and Marinette, yes? Treat each of your young ladies with caring and respect, and see where the path leads you, I would say. It sounds to me like both of them are very worthy of your time and attention."

"That's pretty much what Nino suggested, too... and it's good advice, I think," Adrien smiled at him.

"I am hardly an expert on matters of the heart," Gabriel replied, "but I did win over your mother, so I must have done something right at some point." Having cleared his plate, he rose from his chair. "And I am talking your ears off and letting your breakfast grow cold... but I did need to speak with you. Are we on a similar page again, Adrien?"

"...I think so," Adrien said. "I'm glad you took this time today."

"I must do so more often," smiled Gabriel as he headed for the door. "I will most definitely be interested in hearing how all of this progresses."

"Ladybug may be coming over again this afternoon or evening... just to let you know," called Adrien.

"I will let you have some privacy, then," Gabriel replied, pausing at the doorway. "Within reason, of course. You have been... educated on certain things, correct?"

"Um... mostly?" blushed Adrien. "Mother talked about _that_ with me once, before she... you know... and a few months ago, the Gorilla did his best. But I _strongly_ doubt any of that's even a consideration."

"Fair enough. Do tell Ladybug I said hello!" said Gabriel, as he vanished into the hallway. "And let me know when Miss Dupain-Cheng will visit!"

Adrien took a few deep breaths as he returned his attention to his breakfast. _Oh... kay!_ he thought. _That was certainly... different..._

One other thought bothered him, as well. " _Your mother and I had an anniversary around this time, the first day that we had met," he told me to help explain away his behavior._

 _I thought they'd first met at the Cannes Film Festival! That's in May. It's February now..._

* * *

The late afternoon arrived, and Adrien stared at his phone, wondering to himself exactly what he was going to make himself do with it.

 _You're being silly, Adrien. She ALREADY SAID that she wanted to come over and visit again!_ he thought. _There's no reason for you to be this nervous._

 _Yeah, right. It's one thing for Ladybug to show up out of nowhere and spend time with me. It's another thing to get up the courage to ask her to come over right now! Especially when she knows you were being cagey about what you wanted to talk about._

 _Especially when you're not sure how this might go. Or how you want it to go!_

 _Stop. Stop it, Adrien. You're way overthinking this. Just message her and enjoy her company tonight!_

 _Just follow her lead for now. That's the smart plan for this._

* * *

"So... are you ready for your big it's-not-a-date?" asked Tikki, watching Marinette scurry around her room.

"You're... enjoying this... a little too much!" huffed Marinette, rummaging frantically for where she'd left a certain spray bottle. "It's my first time alone with Adrien since I kind-of-sort-of-almost became his girlfriend! I want everything to go just right."

"This is true. Though _he_ won't know that. As far as he knows, he's inviting his good friend over to watch a movie and talk about _you_ and have a fun evening. Right?" argued Tikki, cheerfully. "There shouldn't be much of any pressure on you tonight."

"You're right, I know," conceded Marinette. "But, still..."

"You don't actually need perfume, you know." added Tikki. "Just name a scent and I can make your costume radiate it, faintly."

That stopped Marinette in her tracks. "...You can _do that?_ " she asked, with noticeable surprise.

"Of course I can. It's like how I craft your costume to what your subconscious wants it to be. I can make you smell like chocolate, or like lavender, or like Hermès 24 Faubourg..." drawled Tikki.

"Wow! I'd never even considered that," said Marinette, with some wonder. "What would you suggest?"

"I'd suggest that he likes your normal self just fine," the Kwami giggled. "Besides, you live above a bakery! You're already sort of cinnamon-oatmeal-butter-brown sugary just from where you spend your time. Trust me, it's _heavenly_. It's a wonder that Adrien doesn't nibble on your ears every chance he gets."

"He might just get that chance," she breathed, then laughed along with Tikki. "But that's another reason why I'm nervous. You've watched him around Ladybug. Part of me is worried that he might want to kiss me tonight."

"And the other part?"

"Worried that he won't."

"You're hopeless, Marinette," sighed Tikki, playfully, "but in a good way. Just relax. Enjoy your movie. I hope that he picks Duck Soup tonight; that one's my favorite."

"You've seen the Marx Brothers movies, Tikki?" asked Marinette, sitting down on her bed.

 _"Seen_ them? Harpo had the Pig Miraculous for a couple of years. They're like watching home movies for me," Tikki winked.

Marinette laughed again at that, then sat for a moment, lost in thought. "You're right, though, Tikki. I do need to just relax. Maybe he'll be romantic with Ladybug; maybe he'll want to save that for Marinette. Either way, I come out ahead. I'll just... follow his lead."

* * *

Marinette's Ladybug-phone vibrated:

 **[Adrien] Hi! Are you free any time soon?**

 **[LB] Sure! I haven't eaten yet, though... did you have anything in mind, or did you want to wait until after supper?**

 **[Adrien] Oh, I hadn't thought of that. Which would you rather do? I can wait if you want to.**

"Hmmm. If I stay for supper here, it might be raining by the time I'd be ready to leave..." pondered Marinette. She looked at Tikki, then grinned.

 **[LB]** **I have an idea...**

* * *

Adrien sat at his computer desk, turning to watch the open window at what Plagg estimated to be an average of every 38.4 seconds.

"A watched pot never boils, Adrien," lectured Plagg.

"It's not a pot, it's a window. And she doesn't boil," argued Adrien.

"She's been known to get you overheated," quipped the Kwami, keeping a well-practiced safe distance. "Doesn't that count?"

"Point taken," Adrien chuckled. "So, what do you think Ladybug's surprise is going to be?"

"I really have no idea. I hope it's cheese," Plagg replied, rubbing his stomach.

"One, you're not going to be out in the open eating it. Two, has anyone ever told you that you have a one-track mind?" said Adrien.

"I do not! I have three tracks. Cheese, sleep and snark."

He looked over Adrien's shoulder, whispered "Whoops! Time to go," and dove into Adrien's pocket.

From behind him, a pleasant voice called out, "Delivery for a Mr. Agreste..."

* * *

Adrien turned and saw a vision of loveliness in red in his balcony window... holding two pizza boxes and wearing a hat reading "O'scià Pizzeria Napoletana."

"Now, that's what I call door-to-door service... except you kind of skipped the door part," he grinned, running over to her. "Hi! Come in! Let me help you with those."

"I wouldn't complain. Swinging across the city was kind of interesting while keeping these level," Ladybug replied, handing him the boxes and climbing down. "Thank you!"

"Thank YOU! I wasn't expecting all of this... and where did you get the hat?" marveled Adrien.

"The owner gave it to me. And the pizzas! I had the money for them with me, but he wouldn't take it. Apparently, you save Paris a couple of dozen times, you get some fringe benefits," she giggled. "I wasn't sure what kind you'd like. One's Margherita - classic tomato, cheese, basil - and the other's got all kinds of stuff on it. Looked like salami, mushrooms, olives, artichoke hearts... we can pick off whatever we don't like, I guess. What do you think?"

"They look great to me! Let me just..." Adrien trailed off, running to his bedside table. "I should... yep! I have some Lactaid in here, so I'm good."

"You're lactose-intolerant?" asked Ladybug. "Huh! Chat Noir is, too. I wish I'd known that, I should have asked..."

"It's not really bad, honest! I take one of these with the first bite of cheese and it's fine. And they look _delicious."_ Adrien rummaged through one of his cabinets and produced some plates and silverware.

"I see you came prepared," Ladybug smiled.

"When your father keeps you on a pretty strict diet," replied Adrien with a grin, "you learn to make midnight snacks as fast and efficient as possible. There's a mini-fridge over there; there are sparkling waters in a bunch of flavors in it."

"Got it!" called Ladybug, retrieving a pair of bottles and heading for the sofa. "So, what are we watching today?"

"I was thinking -" began Adrien, and then his phone buzzed. "Oh, just one second..."

 **[Nathalie] Are you coming down for dinner?**

 **[Adrien] Actually... it just got delivered. I'm good.**

 **[Nathalie] ...It did?**

 **[Adrien] Trust me. ;)**

* * *

"Just letting them know that I'm occupied for the evening. Now, where were we?" Adrien smiled.

"Picking out a movie? A little friend of mine suggested Duck Soup, but I'm up for anything funny," said Ladybug, leaning back on the couch.

"Oh, that one's a classic!" he replied, rummaging through the DVD boxes by the TV. "One of their best. I'd just call it up on Netflix or Amazon, but the Marx movies kind of jump on and off the available lists there. I'd get them on Blu-Ray, but I'm not sure if they've ever been released on that."

"They're from, what, the 1930s? Somehow I don't think high-resolution will make a huge difference," she smiled. "As long as I can see and hear it, I'm not fussy, trust me."

As Adrien got the movie started, Ladybug patted the sofa cushion next to her. "C'mere, you," she beckoned.

"With pleasure!" He sat down, grabbed a slice with one hand, and fought the impulse very hard to put his other hand in hers. He had plenty of time to wrestle with said impulse, and he expected it would be more of a best-of-seven than a single contest.

* * *

"We have a visitor," said Nathalie. "A masked one."

"Yes... from what Adrien told me this morning, I was expecting her! I even offered to give him some privacy, assuming that they behave themselves. And even if they didn't want to, trust me from experience... she'd need to transform back for anything concerning to happen, and I highly doubt that she'd do that." Gabriel's grin widened as he watched Nathalie's face contort, and he added, "Bathroom breaks, Nathalie. Let's leave it at that. Miraculous costumes don't have zippers."

"They're a bit young for that, anyway, wouldn't you say?" noted Nathalie.

"I certainly hope so. And, frankly, I would sooner expect them to kiss twice and pass out. Either way... as I said before, if Adrien is intent on this, I will not complain." Gabriel gave her a meaningful grin. "So... one less for dinner tonight?"

"Looks like it. From what I could see through the cracked door, it looked like she brought pizzas for the two of them. Whatever it was, it smelled good," Nathalie said.

"Then if I have raised my son right, he will do the proper thing when they're done tonight... and bring down the leftovers."

Nathalie smiled at that, then asked, "So what _did_ you two talk about this morning, anyway?"

Gabriel stood and walked with Nathalie towards the main dining room. "Many things. Attempting to reestablish a foundation between the two of us, for one. And from how he speaks of Miss Dupain-Cheng... our masked visitor's A-game had best involve more than pizza, because she has _competition_."

* * *

"Gentlemen, Chicolini here may talk like an idiot, and look like an idiot, but don't let that fool you: he really is an idiot," intoned Groucho Marx, causing a fresh round of laughter in the room.

"I have to be careful with these movies!" said Ladybug, catching her breath. "I'm liable to start quoting them all the time."

"Is that so horrible?" Adrien asked.

"Well... if I... um..."

 _Ack! Be more careful, Marinette!_ thought Ladybug. _You almost said "You might figure out who I am without the mask," and that would give away that he knows you without it!_

"...start quoting 80-year-old movies, not many people my age will recognize them," she finished her sentence. _Lame, but at least it's some cover._

"True. It can be our little secret together," Adrien smiled at her.

Feeling warm from head to toe, Ladybug snuggled in a little closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder. "I like being able to share at least some secrets with you," she half-whispered. "You're the kind of person I'd share everything with, if I could."

"That means a lot to me, Ladybug. It really does." Without even thinking about it, he wrapped his right arm around her shoulders, with no complaints from her.

* * *

BOOM!

Just about the time that the movie was ending, a loud clap of thunder made both kids jump in their seats.

"It's not raining _already,_ is it?" Ladybug asked, looking a bit alarmed.

"That was pretty close," Adrien said. "Maybe we'd better take a look..."

They ran to the window together... and there was no mistaking the torrential downpour outside, through the rapidly fading light.

"Oh, _crap._ Crap, crap, crap," worried Ladybug. "I'm, uh, going to have to make a phone call... can I use your bathroom for a minute?"

"Something's wrong?" asked Adrien. "I mean, I don't want you going out in a thunderstorm, either, but..."

She debated how best to explain it. "Well... I told my parents that I was riding my bike over to your house. They don't know that I'm Ladybug... so now they're going to worry about me pedaling home through this. They'll be worried enough that I'm doing it after dark. And they'd be a bit surprised if they came here looking for me, and found Ladybug instead..."

"Oooh. That could get complicated," Adrien agreed. "And I can't have you driven home as Ladybug..."

"...or your bodyguard will know where I live, and my parents will wonder why Ladybug got out of the car, then ran around the corner and _I_ walked through the door. Which I can't have happen, obviously. But if I say 'oh, I'm at my new boy friend's and I've decided to sleep over,' they'll probably ground me 'til I'm 40," Ladybug grinned, sheepishly. "So I need to at least call them and make sure that they're not searching the streets for me."

"New boyfriend?" wondered Adrien, wide-eyed.

"That's what you caught out of all of that?" she smiled. "Put a space between boy and friend. At least for now. Can we talk about it in a minute?"

"Sure, sure! The bathroom's right over there. Do what you need to do, please," assured Adrien.

He watched the door close, took a deep breath... and readied himself as much as he could.

* * *

Sabine held the phone to her ear, resigning herself to the idea that she was now a proud member of the My Teen Is Dating Now And It's An Occasional Pain In My Butt Club.

"I _know_ , you told me so, and I even agreed with you at the time. We finished the movie and I went to the window, and the storm had started sooner than I'd hoped it would. I'm not riding my bike home in this," her daughter's voice apologized.

"Well, good. You do have enough sense to come in from the rain. Now, what do you want us to do?" Sabine asked.

"Nothing, yet? I'd say 'not worry' but I know better," Marinette offered. "I'm inside, I'm warm and dry, I'm eating pizza. Lukewarm pizza by now, actually. I'm going to watch the weather and see when the storm breaks. If it clears up, I'll ride home and call you before I do. If it doesn't, I'll get them to drive me and I'll pick my bike up tomorrow, like I'd said before."

"All right. Thank you for at least checking in with me," said Sabine. "But I would like to sleep tonight, so try not to make it TOO late, okay?"

"I'll try, and thank you, Mom. Love you."

* * *

Ladybug reemerged from the bathroom, looking a little more relaxed. "Okay, she's all right with Plan A for now, which is for me to not go 'biking' home through a thunderstorm. So for now, you're stuck with me, Mister," she smiled at Adrien.

"Which is fine by me. I don't want you dodging lightning, either. So..." he trailed off.

"So... I believe you had something you wanted to talk with me about?" Ladybug pulled up a soft chair, as Adrien sat down on his piano bench, facing her. "Something you hoped that I would think is good news," she said.

"Yeah. That... um..." Adrien stammered. "Okay, uh..."

"Take a breath. Take your time. I won't bite," soothed Ladybug, as softly as she could.

"It's like this..." breathed Adrien. "Marinette and I were talking yesterday... in detention, because of the classes we both skipped because of that Akuma at the school. Well, mostly because of the Akuma. But, anyway, we had something of a breakthrough between us... and things got romantic."

"That's wonderful, Adrien!" replied Ladybug, with a big smile. "I know that Marinette's been very fond of you for a long time."

"I wish someone had told _me_ before then," he blushed. "But I know what it's like to not be able to get those words out, so I have no room to talk."

"Go on," nodded Ladybug, trying to remain calm.

"The thing is... I found out the hard way that Marinette's had feelings for me for a while. I feel like an idiot not noticing that, and I'm sure that she had some long nights along the way. And I want to make that up to her every way I can, because she really is someone special to me. You and she each kept me sane these last few weeks, and I couldn't have done it without both of you."

Adrien appeared to be struggling a bit. As calmly as she could manage, Ladybug told him, "I'm glad I could be there for you, Adrien. _And_ that Marinette could be there, too, and that you've finally connected like that. But that's not what you felt you had to tell me in person, was it?"

"It's part of it. I, um... okay. I felt terrible that she had feelings about me and I didn't react to them the way I should've. And these last two weeks... and particularly the other night, when you came and surprised me here... this is going to sound crazy, and I'm sorry if it does... but I felt like..." stammered Adrien.

"...There were sparks between us, too?" finished Ladybug.

"...Yes," he admitted, grudgingly. "And I don't mean that to sound-"

"That's because there were," she replied, with a warm smile and reddening cheeks.

* * *

Adrien was momentarily speechless. If Ladybug could've pulled her phone out and snapped a picture of the look on his face, she would have, because it was priceless.

"Adrien... okay, now it's my turn to be brave," she began. _And as careful as I can be._ "I really do like you... I have for a long time now. I love that we've gotten these chances to get to know each other better and spend time together... and when you look at me with those big green eyes, I melt inside. I can't believe I'm saying that out loud... but I won't lie about it, either."

"So I'm not crazy," breathed Adrien. "At least no more than usual."

"But Marinette is a friend of mine, too. And I like _both_ of you too much to cause either of you problems," ventured Ladybug. "So... what do _you_ think that we should do about it?"

"The reason I'm telling you all of this... well, there are a few reasons," Adrien said, fidgeting where he sat. "One is that if you did have any feelings for me, I didn't want to do to you what I accidentally did to Marinette, and leave you hanging without at least talking with you about them. That was cruel to her, even though I didn't mean it and she swears that it wasn't, and I _really_ don't want to do that knowingly."

He looked down, awkwardly. "Even _Marinette_ said 'please talk to Ladybug first.' Which is just... I don't know how she can say that and not want to scream, you know? And that's another reason why I'm torn up inside right now. I can't hurt her. I just _can't."_

Ladybug nodded for him to continue. Behind her, lightning continued to flash intermittently.

"And I've had... um... I've crushed on you, too. I'll say it. I've been dreaming of us being close like this for a long time," Adrien managed. "And she knows that. And both of you are absolutely amazing. And I feel like a hole in the ground right now, even just _saying_ this to you when I just got done telling you about romantic things happening with Marinette. It's so not fair to either of you... She _told me_ to tell you my feelings and I still feel like I'm betraying her..."

"Hey. Just... come here. Please. Come here."

Ladybug moved over onto the piano bench next to Adrien and leaned into him, wrapping him up in a hug. As he did the same, she whispered to him...

 _"Don't you_ beat yourself up over this situation. You're not going to! Neither of us will let you. You're not doing anything wrong. You're doing so much _right_ by worrying so much about both of us."

 _I'm the one who's hurting YOU,_ she thought, _because of the secret that I have to keep. But I'm going to make this as easy on you as I can._

* * *

He looked up at her, and she continued. "Adrien, what _I_ need... is to have a place in your life. You're too important to me for me not to need that. But do we have to figure out just what that place will be _right now_?"

Adrien's eyes were a little watery. "It's funny that you say that... That's what other people keep telling me, too. That if everyone agreed, and everyone stayed honest, it might be possible for me to date both of you for a while and see what happens. Which is just... it kind of makes sense, but it's so foreign to me. I always thought I'd meet someone, fall in love, and just throw myself completely into it. It never occurred to me that it could happen twice at the same time."

The loud rumblings of thunder outside paled beside the pounding of Ladybug's heart.

"Like I told you, that day in the school bathroom... we love who we love. We can't help it, we can't force it, and we can't just snap our fingers and make everything make sense," she told him. "Talk to Marinette about that, okay? I won't speak for her, but I'm not going to get possessive or jealous or needy. Whatever you're comfortable with, I am, too, as long as we stay close."

She touched him on the nose, gently, and added, "But what I _do_ need to do is to get you smiling again."

"Which comes very naturally to you," sniffled Adrien, but with a smile starting to form.

"So, what can we do to take your mind off of all this for a while?" wondered Ladybug. She looked at where the two of them were sitting, and the answer was obvious. "Play something for me!" she suggested, a little bit coquettishly.

"On the piano, you mean?" asked Adrien.

"Sure! Please?" Ladybug smiled. "I know that you're really good at it, and I've never heard you play."

Ladybug stood up and walked over to the side of the piano, giving him room to maneuver and arrange some sheet music. "I could stretch out on top of this, like in the movies, if you need inspiration..." she teased him.

"Actually, please don't?" blushed Adrien. "If my father walked in and saw you doing that, his head would blow apart just from what this thing cost him. But it _is_ an amazing mental picture."

* * *

Adrien settled in and prepared to play. "I might mess up on this first one. It's a tricky piece my father has me learning, and I've never had such a pretty distraction while playing it."

"Would I know it if you did mess up?" giggled Ladybug. "Just have fun and show off for me, already."

His fingers floated over the keys, and Ladybug listened intently as a complicated classical passage took form over the next several minutes.

"Wow," she breathed, once he had finished. "You _are_ really good at that! I wish I had even a fraction of your ability."

"Have you ever played an instrument?" Adrien asked her.

"A kazoo, maybe?" she laughed. "I have some physical talents, but I've never tried anything musical."

 _"Some_ physical talents," scoffed Adrien. "I bet you'd be a natural."

"You know, I'm not sure about that? The costume certainly enhances what I can do. Without it, I'm a bit of a klutz," wondered Ladybug. "Maybe I'd be better at it while I'm transformed... but it's still a lot of learning and practice."

"I could give you some lessons, maybe?" he suggested. "If you'd want me to."

"Maybe," she grinned. "It sounds like a good excuse to keep visiting you regularly."

"I would hope that you don't need excuses for that," Adrien smiled. "And it doesn't have to be classical music. For instance..."

He resumed playing... and this time, a light ragtime tune emerged from the piano, making Ladybug gasp with pleasant surprise at the radical shift in tone.

"Oooh! I really like this one... sorry, I won't distract you," she cooed.

"No, it's fine, I can talk and listen," replied Adrien, continuing to play. "This one is much less complicated, and I know it by heart. It's called Pineapple Rag."

"I feel like I just walked into a saloon in an old Western movie," Ladybug said. "Reach for it, Sheriff! Is that something your father has you learning, too?"

"Actually, no," he said, pausing for a moment. "He loves classical works; I'm trying to learn all kinds of genres. Like, did you ever see the band I'm in with some of my classmates? Kitty Section?"

"I did!" smiled Ladybug. "The day of Captain Hardrock, the music festival! I was out of costume when you were playing, but I heard some of it, and I saw you playing keyboard!"

"Cool!" said Adrien, happily. "That's another kind of music I love that's completely different from the first two I just played. Piano's not as big in rock music as it used to be, but if you do it right..."

He played about thirty seconds' worth of a third piece that had Ladybug's jaw dropping. "There was a British pianist and keyboardist named Nicky Hopkins; he played with the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, the Who, all the classic rock bands of that era. He's one of my favorites. This is part of one of his instrumentals. It sounds even better with the drums and guitars around it, of course..."

"It's amazing just the way you're playing it. I love it! Thank you so much!" gushed Ladybug. "If you're not careful, I'll come over for a private concert all the time."

"I could do one more... um... well, maybe I shouldn't..." For some reason, Adrien looked as if he was turning somewhat bashful at that moment.

"Only if you want to... but I can't get enough of this," she smiled back, convincing him to take a chance.

* * *

Adrien rummaged through his papers, emerged with a specific set of sheet music, and set it up in front of him.

"I'm still working on this one," he noted, apologetically. "Here goes..."

It was a light and wandering melody, one that Ladybug couldn't quite place as anything she'd ever heard before. She closed her eyes and let the tune take her imagination where it wanted her to go.

In her mind, Ladybug pictured a butterfly wafting through a meadow, aimlessly moving as it pleased on a light breeze, enjoying a sunny afternoon... or perhaps a bird in flight, soaring overhead, seemingly effortless in its motion but majestic at the same time. For the couple of minutes that it lasted, she was somewhere else entirely... and she absolutely adored being there.

The last notes echoed in the air, and Ladybug caught herself breathing a little fast. "Whoa!" she said, with a huge smile. "That was... I've never heard anything quite like that before, Adrien. That was... what's that one called?"

"Come here, and I'll show you," he said, shifting over slightly on the bench. Ladybug could see that he was extremely nervous all of a sudden, and wondered why...

...until she looked at the top of the sheet music he'd been playing.

 **A Study in Scarlet**

 **Composer: A. Agreste**

The implications sank in for her, slowly. "You... wrote that _yourself?"_ she asked him.

Adrien nodded.

"And it's... is... is that song about _me?_ " Ladybug gasped.

Adrien nodded again, swallowing hard as he did.

* * *

Red and black turned even redder in an instant.

Ladybug wasn't sure that she'd ever blushed that hard in her entire life.

"Like I said, I'm still working on that song, I wanted to-" began Adrien.

 _"Stop._ Stop! I can't... Oh, my God, Adrien, I'm trying so hard not to cry right now," Ladybug sniffled. "I never imagined that... I..."

"It was something that I couldn't put into words," he said, simply. "I was hoping that you would like -"

* * *

Adrien Agreste's first _real_ kiss wasn't quite what he'd imagined it would be like. It was far better.

It was sudden, catching him by surprise. It began with urgency, with serious need behind it, and he was sure that his eyes popped out of his head once he realized what was happening.

It softened, after a moment, as she felt him respond to it in kind. Her lips parted slightly, parting his, adding a new dimension to the kiss that both needed but neither were fully prepared for.

He felt her arms around him, one hand moving to the back of his head, cradling it gently. His own arms wrapped around her gently, a little timidly, almost fearful of squeezing too hard and feeling her disappear like a popped soap bubble, as if this would all turn out to be just a dream.

He smelled... a touch of cinnamon. A tiny, tiny part of him was sure of it. It ranked around 173rd on the sensory input he was processing at that time.

He wondered if he was still breathing.

He wondered if he still needed to.

He wondered if anything would ever be the same again.

* * *

They opened their eyes shortly thereafter, both a trifle surprised to see that it was still the same evening. Another loud clap of thunder reminded them that it was.

"Whoa," Ladybug smiled, catching her breath. "So _that's_ kissing! I think I like it."

"Me, too," Adrien replied. "Ladybug... are you sure that..."

"After that... incredible gift you just gave me?" she gasped, grinning from ear to ear. "That response wasn't... optional."

"I don't know what to say," said Adrien.

"I didn't, either. So I did that," giggled Ladybug. She saw his emotions wavering and continued to hold him close, reassuringly.

"I don't know that I should've..." Adrien muttered, his mind running a million miles per minute. "I don't know how I'm going to tell Marinette about this..."

"Honestly?" Ladybug replied, softly. "That wasn't a marriage proposal just now. Be honest with her, but don't overwhelm her, either. Let her respond. This is _not_ a competition. She might surprise you."

 _And even though I'm sure that I do,_ she laughed to herself, _it's one way to make sure that I'll have a trustworthy boyfriend!_

"Then there's Chat Noir," he gasped, before he could stop himself.

"I'll talk with him, not you, okay? He'll be fine," replied Ladybug. "Trust me."

 _Not what I meant... but thank you for interpreting it that way,_ Adrien sighed to himself in relief.

"And then there's the boy your heart's been set on all this time... the one that you told me about. What about him?" he asked her.

Ladybug looked deep into Adrien's eyes, and took a breath...

* * *

BOOM!

* * *

All at once, the room was plunged into near-total darkness.

"Oh, you have got to be _kidding_ me!" yelled Adrien, in frustration. "Not NOW!"

"Was that lightning?" wondered Ladybug, regaining her composure. "That must've been _really_ close."

"I'm not sure what it was, or what it took out... but it took _something_ big out," complained Adrien, standing up and leading Ladybug by the hand. "Come and look out the window with me."

As they reached the window, they could see that power had gone out not just at Adrien's house, but for quite some distance around them.

"You don't have generators, or anything like that?" asked Ladybug. "We have a little one where I live, but it's only large enough to run certain things..."

"Something like that," Adrien replied. "There are a couple of them for major stuff, like keeping the refrigerators running. Dad has at least one down in a sub-basement running some equipment, I don't know what's down there. Probably something to do with his wine cellar. Maybe computer servers, or something like that. But the upstairs is wired on different circuits."

"Oh, well. So much for another movie," she smiled.

"Yeah, I can't say that I'll be much of a host right now... with no power, that takes out an awful lot of what I thought we could do tonight..." Adrien pondered.

"Adrien?" Ladybug whispered.

He felt her arm around his waist again.

"The boy that I'd had my heart set on? It's you."

His jaw dropped.

"It... always was."

Adrien wondered how he was still alive, with all of the blood in his body having rushed to his skull in that instant.

"And right now... we don't need lights."

* * *

If anyone had been looking up at a certain window of the Agreste mansion that evening, they would have seen two silhouettes entwined together standing next to it, lit up momentarily by flashes of lightning at random intervals.

The strings of the piano had fallen silent... but music was still being made.

* * *

Next time:

* Yes, this story is and will remain Teen-rated, as our heroes are both acutely aware of their age, modesty and inexperience. ;)

* It's not a Walk of Shame... since it's via yo-yo, and there's no shame involved.

* "I have absolutely no idea. None. Nada."

* Shootout rules apply.

* "Do anything interesting last night?"


	10. A Kiss Is Just A Kiss Until It Isn't

Someone To Watch Over Me, Chapter 10: A Kiss Is Just A Kiss... Until It Isn't

* * *

After about half an hour passed, the most tempestuous portion of the storm passed by, and the booming thunder reduced itself to occasional rumbles.

Outside of the Agreste mansion, the atmosphere also began slowly returning to normal conditions.

* * *

"Adrien?" whispered Ladybug.

She ran her gloved hand through his hair as gently as she possibly could, admiring the handsome face resting against her shoulder. In the dark, sitting on the couch with him, she could barely make out his features.

 _He looks so peaceful,_ she thought.

 _Oh my gosh... did he fall asleep?_

Ladybug wasn't sure if she felt more like laughing or melting from that. She nudged him, very gently, and she saw his eyes slowly open.

"Hi," she whispered to him. "Welcome back."

"Oh," he breathed, very quietly. "For a moment there, I was afraid that this was all a wonderful dream."

"Nope, I'm real. Still tingling, but very real," smiled Ladybug. She leaned down to steal a few more light kisses, then sat up again. "Are you okay?" she asked him.

"I'm... I don't know _what_ I am," he admitted. "I'm happy and excited and scared all at the same time."

"Me, too. Those were my first kisses, too, but you knew that," reassured Ladybug. "I wasn't sure that we'd end up like this... but I'm not complaining."

She felt him trembling a little bit against her, and wrapped her arm around his shoulders. "Wanna talk about it?" she asked.

"I think we need to," replied Adrien. "Very, very much."

* * *

"Well, at least I know that you're a cheap date," quipped Ladybug. "Thirty minutes of kissing and he's out like a light."

Even in the dark, she was sure he turned beet red at that, though she did get a laugh from him as well. She ran her hand up and down his arm to comfort him and added, "I'm just teasing, you goof. I'm overwhelmed, too. _Definitely_ not ready for anything more than kissing any time soon."

"Me, neither," Adrien agreed. "I'm not sure that I was ready for _that_."

"Well, you were a quick learner! Not that I have a basis for comparison," Ladybug giggled. "There's no one else I'd have ever picked for my first kiss, Adrien."

"I'm so glad," he replied.

"Now that we can breathe again... maybe we should figure out together what this night means," she added, in a tone of voice indicating that this topic would not be evaded.

"Yeah. Because-" he began.

* * *

The lights came back on at that moment, making both kids wince and cover their eyes as they readjusted.

"Haha!" laughed Ladybug. "Perfect timing. I'd rather see each other clearly while we talk about this. How about I'll start?"

Adrien nodded, and Ladybug swiveled around to be face-to-face, still close enough to touch him if she wanted to. She could see Adrien's face becoming very tense as she readied her thoughts, and her own worries surfaced within her.

 _Okay, Marinette,_ she thought, _talk your way out of this one! You just made Adrien's LIFE and broke him again at the same time. This is going to take a lot of finesse to get us both out of here in one emotional piece._

"First..." she began, "I'm really glad that this happened... and I'd do it again. Just looking at your face right now makes me _want_ to kiss you again! And I can feel just how much I'm blushing right now, and I don't care. You are really special to me, Adrien. I'm so happy that I can finally say that to you... and show you. But..."

"Somehow I knew there'd be a 'But,'" Adrien grimaced.

"Hush, you. My turn," Ladybug chided him, pleasantly. "But I _also_ meant every word I said about Marinette earlier. This is not a competition, where the first one who kisses you wins! She has real and deep feelings for you... and it's sure sounded to me like that's mutual. And how we feel about each other doesn't change either one of those at all."

"I'm a little confused, then," said Adrien, looking troubled. "If you want Marinette and I to be together, and you kind of sound like you do... why did you kiss me like that? You don't want me to be _your_ boyfriend?"

"I don't know what I want just yet, okay?" Ladybug begged off. "I'm figuring this out just like you are. I keep reminding you, I'm just a teenage girl under this suit... never-been-kissed, until _someone_ came along... and I can get emotional and be impulsive like anybody else. And you are so sweet and so handsome, and we have so much fun together, and I _adore_ that you want to be there for me just like I'm there for you, and you played that amazing song for me, that you _wrote_ _about_ me, and I just... I'm babbling now."

Ladybug rocked into a little ball, her arms around her knees, but with a gigantic smile. "Adrien, like I said when I did it... that was not an optional reaction. I needed to kiss you so badly that it _hurt_. And that incredible thing you did for me finally gave me the courage to do it. I was just so... I felt so..."

She gave him a soft, shy look. "Adrien... I don't think we're ever going to go back to being 'just friends' again. Not the way that we were before this week. And not just because we just kissed," she told him. "We're going to be something more than that, no matter what. But I want whatever we are... whatever we become... to be something that you are comfortable with, and that Marinette is comfortable with, too. And before the lights went out, you still sounded really conflicted."

"I was... and I still am," Adrien admitted.

"Then let's talk this out some more," ventured Ladybug. "If you had heartache because you weren't sure that I liked you that way... I don't want you to have more heartache because I _do!"_

* * *

Adrien took all of that in with a face that Ladybug couldn't quite read. "I'm... kind of glad to hear that? I think? But I'm not quite sure what I'm thinking," he began. "It's a little bit of a relief that _you're_ not sure, too. Because if you said 'let's just be friends' _or_ you said 'I love you' right now, I'd probably pass out cold."

"Well, let's go one step at a time, okay? I want to keep you conscious," Ladybug giggled. "Not that you weren't _so cute_ asleep against me a minute ago..."

"I can't believe I did that," blushed Adrien. "And I can't believe that I even have _doubts_ about this. I have wanted to be close to you... to kiss you... from the moment I met you, Ladybug. It wasn't something that started when you caught that Akuma, or took me out to the park and talked with me, or anything else this week. I fell for you _hard_ before I even knew you well. Everything since has just made that stronger."

"Wow," replied Ladybug, with a little quiver in her voice. "I've got the full-body shivers hearing that... No one's ever said anything like that to me before. Ever."

"And if it was just you and me... I know what else I'd want to say right now," Adrien gulped. "But it's not just you and me. And thinking about how to explain this to Marinette has my stomach tied in knots."

"You're... going to be _honest_ with her, right?" prompted Ladybug, a little hesitantly.

"I have to be. I'm not sure that I _can_ lie to Marinette, and I know that I'll never want to," he half-smiled. "But that's the problem. When I asked her out on our first date, when I held her hand, when I said she is the sweetest girl I know, when I told her that I'm interested in being with her... none of that was lying, either."

Ladybug's eyes shone at him as he added, in a serious voice, "I meant every word. Those feelings are real." His head slumped down as he added, "And now I get to tell her that I'm _so_ interested in her that I just kissed _someone else_ over and over."

* * *

"Did tonight change those feelings that you have for Marinette?" asked Ladybug, delicately.

"No, they didn't. But..."

"Then don't you think that she needs to hear that, too?" she replied, with a little emphasis. "Are you still going to take her on those dates? Call her and talk with her for hours? Walk her to school and back? Tell her those sweet things that turn her to jelly, and still mean them?"

Adrien's anxiety increased visibly. "I... I really want to do all of those things with her, for her. And more! But now I doubt that she'd want me to." He looked helplessly at Ladybug and added, "I was _kissing you!_ And meaning that, too!"

"It sure felt like you meant it," Ladybug grinned. "But I'm not the only one who has a place in your heart, and I have to respect that."

"You're the only one I've ever kissed, let alone made out with. I'm not used to the idea of... well... doing any of that casually," Adrien struggled to say. "I mean, like you said, it wasn't a marriage proposal, but..." He trailed off as it became clear from her reaction that he really, really should.

"Do you think that I jumped on you casually tonight, Adrien?" asked Ladybug, with a growing frown. "My first real kisses _ever?_ Do you think that this wasn't important to me, or that I just throw those around?"

 _"NO!_ That's not what I meant at all," gasped Adrien, desperately scrambling for a rephrasing. "Not even a _little bit!_ But that's what I'm trying to figure out now. I can't... I can't quite wrap my head around kissing someone like _that_ and then not wanting a relationship with them."

Ladybug looked at him very carefully, and weighed how to phrase what she was about to say.

"Then there's something else that you need to understand."

* * *

Adrien stared at her, uncomprehending, but very much wanting to.

"You can be just friends with someone, or you can be in a full romantic relationship with someone, falling madly in love with them. But those _aren't_ the only two choices."

The room was silent for a moment.

"Don't just drop that on me and leave it there," said Adrien, finally. "Explain what you mean by that, _please_."

"Adrien, when I kissed you like that tonight," Ladybug began, "it was because you are very special to me. Because you touched my heart with that song and my emotions just took over. Because no one else has made me open up the way that you have. Because I really, really _wanted to."_

She gave him a meaningful look and asked, "You get that _none_ of that was casual, right? There are people who'll get kissy with anyone, just for the thrill of it. I'm not one of those people."

"I never thought that you were," replied Adrien. "Believe me, I _know_ that you're not."

"I feel closer to you than anyone else while I'm wearing this mask," Ladybug said. "That's not a small thing for either of us."

"Even closer than to Chat Noir?" he wondered, slipping out of him before he could think better of saying it.

"Well, see, that's an example of what I'm talking about," Ladybug argued. "I've told you before how I feel about Chat. He is _so_ important to me in so many ways! He's way more than just a friend; he's my partner. He's my equal. He's someone I share things with that no one else ever gets to see. I rely on him for a whole lot more than fighting Akumas, and I couldn't be Ladybug without him."

Her head sank, in frustration. "And I'm mostly sure that he understands that, deep down. But the one thing that I _can't_ give him is a romantic relationship, and sometimes I feel like that's the only thing he wants. That if he doesn't get that, none of the rest is worth it. Like it's either Love or the Friend Zone, one or the other, on or off like a light switch."

Adrien's face froze. "You really think that he feels that way?" he said, in a hushed voice.

"Not all the time. Not even close! He's matured quite a bit in the time I've known him. I think he understands how much I genuinely care for him. At least... I truly hope that he does, and I try to remind him of that all the time."

Ladybug curled into a ball again. Adrien wanted to wrap his arms around her to comfort her, but held back for a moment, not sure that it was what she wanted at that point.

"But once in a while, he does push too hard, asking for all or nothing. It hurts me when he does that. And I can't do that with _you,_ Adrien. I just can't."

* * *

"...Okay," Adrien conceded, looking thoughtful. "You have a point there. More of one than you know."

Ladybug looked up at him with something of a sad smile. "Then maybe you do understand. I am _crazy_ about you, Adrien. You get me emotional, you make me nervous, you make me shiver like nobody else does. I _need_ some kind of relationship with you. Maybe it can be romantic, in our own way! Maybe it won't be. But I don't know what kind of relationship that it needs to be yet. We're both still figuring that out."

"And I'm not going to apologize for showing you how I feel without words... just like you did, with your song... _or_ for wanting to give us more time to figure out if this is what's best for both of us."

Adrien was silent.

"If I end up being your steady girlfriend, and we do what we did tonight all the time, I'd love that. If I end up being a very close friend instead, and we watch movies and crack jokes and share things between us and kiss sometimes and you date other people at the same time, I'd love that too. If I stay as your good friend but _Marinette_ gets all of those kisses, I'll be so happy for her - and for you!" pleaded Ladybug. " _As long as I have you in my life_. But I'm not the _only one_ that you need to keep in your life. Am I making sense, Adrien?"

"You are," he answered. "My head is still spinning, but you are making sense. But..."

"Keep talking," Ladybug replied. "I really need to know what you're thinking right now."

"The girl I've been head-over-heels for all year just came to my house, threw her arms around me, blew my mind with our first kisses, told me how much she's crazy about me... and is now encouraging me to maybe date someone else. You'll have to pardon me if I'm still processing all of that," he smiled, sheepishly.

"I kissed you, and I meant to. That doesn't mean that I own you, or that you own me. I know you're more than smart enough to get that," replied Ladybug. "And if we decide that this is what we both want most, you'll get a lot more of those. But I'm not the only one you're head-over-heels for any more... am I?"

Adrien's head dropped again, but with a defeated grin. "No, you're not. And you're right. I can't just make a snap decision on this."

"I'm not saying that Marinette will feel the exact same way. I can't speak for her, or for how _she'll_ react to what just happened," Ladybug replied. "So be gentle with her, okay? Be totally honest with her. And hear her out _before_ you write off your chances with her just because you kissed me back. She's just as crazy about you as I am... maybe more."

He nodded at that. "Maybe the three of us should get together sometime and all talk about it?" he ventured. "Clear the air between us?"

"Um... I'm not sure that would be a great idea just yet," she stammered. "How about you talk to her first without my complicating things by being there?"

"Okay," Adrien replied, quietly.

* * *

"Are we good, Adrien?" Ladybug asked, intently. "Are _you_ good?"

"I've got a ton to think about... but I'll get there. I have two wonderful friends to help me through it," said Adrien, with a hint of a smile. "And at least one of them is an _amazing_ kisser."

"Maybe we both are. Did you ever think of that?" winked Ladybug. "But it's up to _you_ if you want to try and find that out."

The goggle-eyed look on Adrien's face made her giggle. "Not to put ideas in your head, or anything..." she laughed. "Anyway... it sounds as if the rain has slowed down. I'm going to head home before my mother has a coronary worrying."

The pair moved to the window, reluctantly. "I'm serious, Adrien. Are you going to be all right?" asked Ladybug, with visible concern. "I don't want to leave here until I know that you will be, and that you won't be up all night worrying about the two of us. The three of us, even."

"Then I'll fake that I won't be all right, and just keep you here," he chuckled.

"Very clever, smart guy. I'll put it another way. This..."

Ladybug leaned forward and planted one more searching kiss on Adrien's lips.

"...should tell you that I'm not just your friend. But _these_..."

She tapped gently on his head, then over his heart, and added, "...should tell you that Marinette's not just your friend, either. What happens next is up to you. Just... be honest with both of us, and with yourself, okay? Nothing bad ever comes of that."

Without a word, he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. "Do I deserve either one of you?" he asked her.

"I think so. I keep coming back, don't I?" Ladybug grinned. She kissed him on the cheek, stepped outside, and was gone.

* * *

Adrien stared out the window for a few minutes, then closed it, walked back to his bed and flopped down on his back with a glazed smile on his face.

Plagg flew out of his pocket and hovered above him, gauging Adrien's mood as best he could. He wasn't giving away much at the moment.

"So... um... _That_ was quite an evening, huh?" Plagg said, as nonchalantly as he could manage.

"You could say that," replied Adrien, distantly.

"What do you think you're going to do next?" asked Plagg.

"I have absolutely no idea. None. Nada."

Plagg stared at Adrien for a moment, wondering what he could possibly add to the moment. "Well, um... I'll be right over there if you need me. If you don't, uh, then sleep well!" he mumbled, then flew over to where he customarily spent his nights. _I need to buy a little time to figure this out,_ he thought. _And he needs a little more time to tell himself that that was all real._

 _I don't ask for a lot of favors, Hawkmoth, wherever you are,_ Plagg chuckled to himself. _But no Akumas tonight, please? If you send one, I'm pretty sure the kid's going to thousand-yard-stare it to death._

* * *

As a scarlet-and-black figure swung across the skyline of Paris, a cold and damp evening closed in around her. Misty raindrops pelted her face, stinging the exposed skin there. Wind whipped at her from various directions, trying to chill her to the bone. Her hair became soaking wet, as did the outside of her costume.

She never felt a thing.

* * *

When she reached the alleyway in which she'd stashed her bicycle, Ladybug quickly transformed back to Marinette. To her mild relief, it was right where she'd left it, locked securely to a metal railing. _That's all I'd need,_ she smiled to herself. _Not that I expected it to be stolen, but then how would I explain how I got home?_

Tikki floated beside her, giving her a concerned look. She watched as Marinette thought for a moment, then stepped out from under the overhang into the pouring rain. "What are you doing?" she asked her.

"Well... if I rode my bike home from Adrien's through the rain, wouldn't it look a bit strange if my street clothes were completely dry?" reasoned Marinette, twirling a bit on the sidewalk. "I'm sure Mom would notice that."

"Heh, that's a good point. I'm glad that you're back to thinking about those kinds of things," Tikki replied, dryly.

Marinette's smile faded somewhat. "Wait... what do you mean by that, Tikki?"

"We'll talk upstairs, okay? Let's get you home before someone _does_ notice you. Or before you freeze," suggested Tikki.

Marinette remained bothered by what she'd just heard, but hopped on her bike and pedaled the short distance remaining to her house.

* * *

"Mom, Dad... I'm home!" called Marinette, as she entered through the back door and wiped her feet on the mat.

As she expected, her mother came flying over to meet her, and was perturbed by what she saw. _"Marinette!_ You're soaking wet!" she chided her. "Why didn't you just get the Agrestes to drive you?"

"It wasn't that bad when I left!" ventured Marinette. "The lightning had stopped, and the rain had died down to almost nothing. It picked up again a few blocks from here, and I was close enough that I didn't want to call from there. I did beat my curfew, right?"

Both heads turned to look at the clock on the wall. "You did... but just barely," conceded Sabine. "Next time, you'll listen to me and we'll handle this a little differently?"

"I will, I promise," Marinette said, with what she hoped was a conciliatory smile and her most innocent expression.

"All right. You're young, you're in love, I won't yell at you too much," Sabien smirked. "But get upstairs and get changed before your father sees you, or _he'll_ have a fit!"

"Oh, I intend to! I'm freezing," replied Marinette as she headed for the stairs. As she reached the bottom step, her mother called out to her again.

"...Was it worth it?" asked Sabine.

 _"Sooooooo_ worth it," her daughter grinned, then took off up the stairs two at a time.

 _Good,_ thought Sabine. _I think._

* * *

A quick shower helped restore Marinette to her normal operating parameters. With a bathrobe around her and a towel around her head, she fell backwards onto her mattress, arms outstretched, a peaceful smile on her face.

"Drink it in, Marinette," encouraged Tikki. "This was a very big night for you."

"It sure was," Marinette agreed. "A very big, romantic, passionate, electrifying, _complicated_ night." She opened her eyes and sat up, turning towards Tikki. "But you're not happy with me, I could tell. Adrien was awfully fragile again after I kissed him. How badly did I screw that up tonight?"

"Actually... I'm okay with that part," Tikki answered. "I wasn't sure what was going to happen once the kissing started, or how either of you would react. I figured Adrien would be starstruck, and I was more than a little afraid that you would be, too."

"You were?" asked Marinette.

"You've been in _loooooove_ with Adrien for how long? And here he was, in your arms at last. If you'd gone into full I-love-you-forever mode right then and there, I wouldn't have been surprised," grinned Tikki. "But everything that you said afterwards: how you feel about him as Ladybug, to be sure and consider Marinette's feelings for him, how he shouldn't read _too_ much into all that kissing and snuggling, but to not take them too lightly, either... that was all very mature of you, and I liked it a lot. I think he learned quite a bit from you tonight."

 _Not to mention that maybe THAT will jar him out of the possessive way Chat acts towards Ladybug sometimes!_ thought Tikki. _That part looked like it connected with him hard, and it should've._

"That's good. I had the advantage of having rehearsed most of it in my head all morning," smiled Marinette. "But if that's not what's bothering you, what is?"

"Um..." hesitated Tikki. "The part where you gave away your secret identity? I wasn't as much of a fan of that part."

* * *

Marinette froze in place, a mask of horror growing rapidly on her features.

"Tikki... what in the world did I _do?_ " she gasped.

"Now, I understand _why_ it happened. You weren't in full control of yourself at that moment, so I'm not going to blame you for it..." evaded Tikki.

 _"WHAT?"_ demanded Marinette.

"You told Adrien 'The boy that I've had my heart set on? It's always been you,' as _Ladybug,"_ said Tikki, simply.

Marinette did some quick mental math and frowned, not quite making the connection.

"To the same person whom you told _twice_ this week that the boy you were crushing on was a friend of yours that you knew well without your mask on," Tikki continued. "So if Adrien was paying attention, now he knows for sure that Ladybug's secret identity is a personal friend of his. How many friends his own age does Adrien have? And how many of them are blue-eyed girls with dark pigtails that he knows have feelings for him?"

 _Now_ it added up. Marinette sank back down flat on her bed, with an anguished expression. _"No..._ How could I have been that _stupid?_ " she wailed.

"Stop that right now," lectured Tikki, immediately. "You are _not_ stupid. You are a sweet girl in love, whose crush had just told her 'I love you' with that amazing, beautiful song. It's a miracle that you didn't yell 'Spots off!' right then and there. And with those kisses you laid on him, it's possible that what you said floated straight out of his skull! Those were _some_ kisses, honey."

"He'd earned them," mumbled Marinette.

"He sure had. And maybe he _hasn't_ put two and two together yet. But now we have to act as if he has, or that he's about to, if we want to keep your secret," Tikki told her.

"Agreed. What should I do, Tikki?" asked Marinette, looking and feeling helpless.

"Something that might be a little tricky for you, but it's important, and you're already kind of doing it," Tikki said, looking thoughtful. "You need to put a bunch of obvious distance between Marinette and Ladybug."

* * *

Marinette looked at Tikki as if she'd just been offered a grilled platypus with a Caesar salad appetizer. "Say that again?" she said.

"You heard me right. I didn't really want to do it this way, because it would be easier on Adrien if we could've avoided it, and it makes slip-ups more likely. Any time we're introducing deception, that happens... But if your identity is in danger like this, we need to protect it," Tikki replied. "Right now, you and Ladybug are working in perfect harmony. You're both trying to make Adrien feel better; that's not going to change. You're both trying to romance Adrien; _that's_ not going to change, because it'd be suspicious if one of you just went hands-off and let the other have him."

"Okay..." Marinette said, trying to follow along.

"But so far, you're being super-considerate of Adrien giving Ladybug a chance. Almost telling him flat-out 'think about dating her instead of me, or about dating both of us.' And as Ladybug, you're pushing him towards Marinette the same way. Because you _do_ want him both ways, and I get that; it makes sense from some aspects. But people are going to notice if you're completely nonchalant about your boyfriend having another girlfriend. I'd bet some people around Adrien have noticed that already," mused Tikki. "Adrien himself may be wondering why. And we can't have any of them asking 'But what if that means they're the same person?'... and you just accidentally drew a straight line between them."

"So what, exactly, are you suggesting that I do next?" asked Marinette.

"To at least some degree... your two sides are about to become rivals," grinned Tikki.

Marinette shook her head in mild disbelief. "Okay, slow down. My brain hurts. How do I do that?" she wondered aloud.

"Like I said, you're already halfway to doing it. Think back to your conversations with Adrien this week," Tikki explained. "You talked about Ladybug with Adrien as if she was someone else. Ladybug talked about you with Adrien as if _you_ were someone else. You've said that he reacts to your two sides differently, at least in subtle ways. That much should be second nature to you by now, right?"

"Yeah, I've been doing that... but I already act differently as Ladybug than I do as Marinette," argued Marinette.

Tikki's raised-eyebrow stare made Marinette add, "...Don't I?"

"What you're physically capable of is different. The girl inside is the same. That's part of why he's falling so hard for _both_ of you," said Tikki. "And I'm not suggesting that you and Ladybug should suddenly _hate_ each other, or anything dramatic like that. Neither side of you is going to give up on Adrien, either."

Tikki's face showed that she was trying to be as soothing as she could, despite her worried state. "What you said to him tonight, about how if one of you was his girlfriend and the other a close friend... that's still a great end goal! But what I think you need to do is get a friendly rivalry going between your two selves. He has to think that Marinette and Ladybug are still on good terms, but that they're each trying to win his heart for themselves in different ways! Show him different sides of yourself. Kill him with sweetness _and_ flirtatiousness. Give him distinct options. Don't help each other quite as much. Convince _him_ to make a decision... but stay close to him both ways, so you don't lose that intimacy with him one way when he's kissing the other."

"His head will explode," Marinette stated, flatly.

"A little? Yeah. But didn't you just spend half an hour explaining to him that he's not a terrible person for liking both of you? I know how much you want to bend over backwards and give him exactly what he wants... but he _doesn't know_ who or what he wants any more. You're seeing that up close, right? And that's tearing him up as much as your love is healing him. Maybe he needs a little nudge or two."

"Maybe..." said Marinette, not entirely convinced. "I mean, what I'm doing right now is kind of working... but it _is_ getting really complicated..."

Tikki continued, undaunted. "Besides, he's way too close to the truth right now. We need to get him off balance for a while, _without_ making him feel like he's losing either side of you. And I'll bet that a crafty young lady I know could have a lot of fun with the concept... and blow his mind with how _happy_ he is with both of your selves taking turns spoiling him rotten, not how _stressed_ he is over hurting one or both of you."

Marinette pondered the situation for a minute... and as possibilities presented themselves to her, a slightly scary grin appeared on her face. "So I could be a one-girl Betty _and_ Veronica, you're saying?"

"And kiss Archie either way," Tikki grinned.

"Tikki..." smiled Marinette, "I hope you know what ideas you're inspiring in me right now."

Tikki breathed a small sigh of relief. "I hope Adrien's taking his vitamins," she giggled.

* * *

Plagg debated whether or not Adrien would be ready to talk yet...

"You all right over there?" he hissed, from several meters away.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he heard Adrien half-whisper back. "I think so. I can feel my legs again."

"That's a start," the Kwami agreed. He flew over and landed on the nightstand beside Adrien's bed. "Are you going to be able to sleep tonight?" he asked.

"Eventually. I'm going over everything that Ladybug said... and I think she and I are on the same page now. But I _still_ don't know what I'm going to tell Marinette," sighed Adrien.

"Well, let me put it this way. You're a football fan, right? Treat this situation like shootout rules apply," grinned the tiny cat.

"Come again?" asked Adrien, jarred out of his thoughts by the unexpected metaphor.

"You went into tonight's visit, and the two of them were tied. Ladybug went first in penalty kicks, and scored a goal tonight. Wow, did she score a goal! But having done that... is the game over now?"

Adrien thought hard... and grinned. "No, it isn't. Marinette still gets a turn to respond and try to tie the score again. Just like Ladybug said she did. Well, kind of."

"Exactly. Now, she may not try the exact same method... I highly doubt that you're going to see Marinette at your window holding pizzas... and she may not jump right into kissing, either," mused Plagg. "And you could use some rest and thinking time before you try. But like Ladybug said... let Marinette respond. You owe her that for sure. And get ready."

"Get ready for what?" asked Adrien.

"If Marinette knows that she has _that_ kind of competition... just about anything," Plagg grinned.

* * *

"All right. Step one, then," said Marinette, as she reached over and turned her phone off for the night.

"Already?" wondered Tikki, watching Marinette's action. "No midnight chats with anyone tonight?"

"Tikki, I think _someone_ needs some time to breathe, think, and make sense of all of this." She gave Tikki a tired smile and added, "And so does Adrien."

"Well, I can't argue with that." Tikki floated a little closer to Marinette and asked, "Hey... do _you_ want to talk about things tonight? I mean, we already did just talk about some of it, but a lot of that was managing how Adrien feels. I need to know how _you_ feel about what's going on."

"Like what?" asked Marinette, giving Tikki her full attention.

"Like, for starters, what it felt like to kiss the boy of your dreams tonight and have him kiss you back! You've done a lot of heavy lifting this week, Marinette, and if I were you, I'd be exhausted! You've kept Adrien sane and made him feel loved - twice over. You've flipped his life upside down and carried him on your back, emotionally. You've watched him fall for you _twice_. You've had your first kiss and given him his. I just gave you a big scare, on top of all that. You've worried so much about making everything _just right_ for Adrien that I hope you're focusing on what _you_ need, too!"

Tikki's eyes were soft and caring. "So, you don't _have_ to right now... but could you use a little Girl Talk, just you and me for a little while?"

"You know what, Tikki?" said Marinette, with a sincere smile. "I think I'd really like that."

"You might be the strongest girl in Paris," Tikki added, "if they measure it in heart. But it's okay when you're feeling a little vulnerable, too, and I'll always be here for you when you are. And one reason I'm very happy that Adrien's falling for you is that he's there for you, too... for both of you."

Their conversation floated along for another hour, not as mentor-and-student... but as friend-to-friend.

* * *

The morning brought with it clearer skies, bright sunlight, and the distinct smell of pancakes in the Agreste mansion's main dining room.

"Good morning, Adrien," Nathalie called as she saw his pajamaed form approach her. "Long night?"

"Is it that obvious?" he replied, scratching his head idly. "But a good one. How are you?"

"Hungry," she smiled, working on her plate as Adrien took a seat at the table. "And we have some more time for it, because your noontime photoshoot is postponed."

"It is?" Adrien asked, surprised. "What happened?"

"The site took a beating from the storm last night. Mud, tree limbs, nothing they can't clean up in a day or so, but there's no way it'll be ready for us by mid-morning," explained Nathalie. "We're pushing it to Tuesday after school; I've adjusted your schedule appropriately. So you caught a break today; instead of being in a rush, we can relax for a little while, and if you had something social to do today you can get to it earlier."

"That's good," he smiled. "I'd told Nino I wanted to hang out with him today; that'll let him pick whether we should get lunch or wait until tonight."

"Nino?" marveled Nathalie. "I would have thought that you'd be dashing out the door to your new girlfriend! Or your _other_ new girlfriend."

That got a stunned expression from Adrien, followed by an awkward grin. "I don't know that _either_ of them is my girlfriend yet... You're aware of who the other person is?" he asked.

"Who else could deliver pizzas to your bedroom window? Or could _possibly_ have you thinking she might be out of your league? Adrien, I know just about everything that goes on around here," said Nathalie, proudly.

"Plus, you talked to my father," countered Adrien.

"Plus, I talked to your father," Nathalie confirmed. "Ladybug? _Seriously?_ How did that come about?"

"Well..." Adrien gave her a highly condensed version of their interactions to date, leaving out the kissing parts for discretion's sake. "They've both been absolutely wonderful friends to me... especially lately, when I've needed them most. As Ladybug put it, she's not a strange visitor from another planet... she's a girl my age who lives somewhere nearby, just like Marinette is, and we seem to have a lot in common."

"Like what?" asked Nathalie, her interest piqued. "Tell me about her. What have you learned so far?"

Adrien gave Nathalie a slightly surprised look - _Why do you want to know?_ he thought - but continued on. "She's all business when dealing with Hawkmoth, of course... but underneath, she says she's a normal girl, nothing unusual about her. She's _super_ sweet. A llttle bit shy. She has a great sense of humor; it's been sneaking out more and more as we've gotten comfortable with each other. We've been watching Marx Brothers movies together and she's a huge fan now."

"Aren't she and Chat Noir... um... an item?" Nathalie continued.

"Not so much, from what she's told me," explained Adrien. "They're very close, but they're good friends, not romantic. Trust me, she has... ways of letting me know that she's available."

 _Hmmm_ , thought Nathalie, while maintaining her smile as cover. _Not a lot there that I can pass on to Gabriel... but maybe he can divine something he can use from that._

"So now I'm kind of stuck, trying to figure this out," sighed Adrien. "They're both adorable. One's absolutely irreplaceable, and the other's just as irresistible. And I can't hurt either one of them."

"So don't," said Nathalie, reflexively. "I know that you'd never hurt either on purpose. You'll find the right balance, I'm sure."

Having finished her breakfast, she stood up to leave and to allow Adrien to work on his. "The leftover pizza was delicious, by the way," she smiled at him. "It's a shame that the power went out like it did."

"Actually, that wasn't so bad," Adrien replied. "Two young people, alone in the dark like that... it gave us a chance to do something we'd really wanted to do together."

Nathalie's eyes widened.

"To sit and _talk_ about things. Whatever are _you_ thinking?" grinned Adrien.

She chuckled, involuntarily, as she left. _All right, he got me good on that one,_ she thought.

* * *

Nino picked up his phone around one and greeted Adrien. "Hey, let me guess. Is your dad making you bail on me again?" he asked.

"Actually... just the opposite! I've got my afternoon free, too. Want to get together sometime soon?" replied Adrien.

"Sure!" said Nino, happily surprised. "Come over whenever and we'll figure something out. Are things with your love life getting any easier for _you_ to figure out?"

"That would be a very large 'no.' But a good 'no.' I'll fill you in when I get there, I'm leaving right now!" Adrien told him.

* * *

Over at her house, Marinette's parents did their best to find out more without being overly nosy throughout the morning. Marinette got a good laugh when Sabine explained, "Oh, you don't have to tell me _everything_ , dear... just the parts that you don't want me to know about."

"How about this?" countered Marinette. "I'll tell you the parts that I don't want you to know about, if I can leave out the parts that _you_ don't want to know about."

"And which parts were those?" asked Sabine, innocently.

"None so far," Marinette giggled. "You can rest assured that we're still in the stare-at-each-other-nervously-and-grin phase."

"Can we keep you there for, oh, the next ten years or so?" called Tom from across the bakery. "Or just until you're married."

"How about 'no?'" Marinette laughed back.

"We know that we can trust you, Marinette... but every parent worries. It's our job," smiled Sabine. "Especially the first time around, and while we like what we've seen from Adrien, we don't know him that well yet."

"Can we fix that, then?" asked Marinette. "I'd love to have him over for supper some night this week, if we could. I'm sure that he'd enjoy it, you'd get to show off your cooking and desserts, and you can ask him anything you like then."

"Sure, we can set an extra plate. When are you thinking? Does he like anything in particular that I could make?" her mother asked.

"The only thing I know is he's lactose-intolerant, but he has something he takes for it, so that's fine. I've seen him eat ice cream and cheesy pizza," explained Marinette. "I'll ask him if he has any favorites... As for when, I'm thinking like Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday? That way, I can see when he's free and we'll have time to prepare."

"I was half-expecting to hear 'tonight,'" grinned Tom. "No hot-and-heavy plans for this evening?"

"I'm giving him a little room to breathe, Dad," she grinned back. "I'll call him tonight. As well as things are going so far, I don't want to cling onto him like a backpack with pigtails."

"You don't want to, or you don't want us to know that you want to?" her father laughed.

"Now, Tom?" Sabine interjected. "That part about 'things that _I_ don't want to know about' that she'd mentioned?"

* * *

"That was awesome!" beamed Adrien, taking his headphones off. "This mix you've been working on is something else, Nino!"

"Thanks, dude!" Nino replied, wiping his brow. "The last party I did went pretty well, but I'm always trying to build something better, y'know?"

"It shows. I could tell what you changed from the last one you played me. This one flows a lot better in the middle."

The pair walked over to crash on a nearby sofa, trying to think of what to do next. "So... do anything interesting last night?" asked Nino.

One look at Adrien's face told Nino that it was definitely time to go close the door before continuing.

"Okay, lay it on me," grinned Nino quietly, once he'd returned to his seat. "What happened?"

"Oh... just my first kiss," blushed Adrien. "I mean... I guess Marinette gave me my _first_ one at the picnic... it definitely counts... but my first _mutual_ kiss. And a few more than that one."

"Awesome!" beamed Nino. "So you and Marinette, you're a couple now?"

"Would it be bad if I said 'no'?" said Adrien, putting his hand behind his head awkwardly.

"You're not a couple?" asked Nino, looking confused.

"It... wasn't Marinette."

"Are you _telling_ me..." gasped Nino.

Adrien nodded, silently.

 **"DUDE!"**

* * *

By this time in their relationship, Adrien knew Nino's vernacular pretty well. There were the casual "Dude," the playful "Dude!", the questioning "Dude?", the admiring "Duuuuude..." and many, many others.

But this one crossed boundaries that Adrien had never heard before. And with good reason, Adrien had to admit...

This was the _Atomic Dude_.

* * *

"You are _kidding_ me right now. You and-"

"Keep your voice down!" cautioned Adrien. "I don't want the neighborhood to know! Or anyone but you!"

 _"Ladybug_ kissed you?"

Nino's face betrayed a variety of emotions as Adrien told yet another edited version of the evening's events. _That's, like, great and everything... but the next time I get to be Carapace and we all get together, this is going to be awkwaaaard... Oh, man! If Alya finds out, is she ever going to want to be Rena Rouge again? She wants Marinette and Adrien to be together so bad..._

"Have you told Marinette yet?" Nino managed, once Adrien had finished.

"Not yet... though I'm going to, and I'll need to tell her everything. Ladybug insisted on that, and that _she and I_ aren't a couple yet, either. Ladybug said that we're definitely more than just friends now, but so are Marinette and I, and Marinette deserves a chance to respond and to express herself."

Adrien sat back, visibly still overwhelmed himself. "When you and Alya first kissed, did you... know right then?" he asked.

"Pretty much?" offered Nino. "Though neither of us were involved with someone else at the time. And I'd come to the zoo that day so that _you_ could help _me_ ask _Marinette_ out. And we were kind of locked in a cage alone together while Ladybug and Chat fought a supervillain. It was, uh, kind of a weird day for us all around."

"That's one way to put it," Adrien agreed. "It ended well, at least."

"Yeah, it did," Nino grinned. "Really well. Now, how do you want _this_ to end, Adrien?"

"Nino... I'm not sure. I'm just not. And if you'd ever asked me if I had _any_ doubt if I wanted to be Ladybug's boyfriend," he replied... then mimed his own head exploding. "Seriously. I didn't think anyone in the world could make me even wonder, let alone run fifty-fifty with her. Which might be the best compliment that I can never say out loud to Marinette. Not quite like that, anyway; I don't think she'd exactly take it as one," he grinned, getting a laugh from Nino.

Adrien sat back, with a thoughtful look. "But what I _can_ say is that I need to make both of them feel like the luckiest girls in the world, to treat them both like the angels they are..."

"...starting with Marinette."

* * *

Next time (or the time after, if Chapter 11 runs long again):

* Alya just can't seem to get straight answers these days.

* "I really need to see you... for more than a few reasons."

* Gabriel does another night's homework.

* "I can't swing from buildings... but there are things I _can_ do."

* "I screwed up just now. How, I have no idea..."

* A chill in the air, and a moment of truth.


	11. Soft Voices and Softer Feelings

Someone To Watch Over Me, Chapter 11: Soft Voices And Softer Feelings

* * *

Marinette spent much of her afternoon in quiet reflection. _I'm glad that Tikki and I had that talk last night,_ she thought. _Things have been going so well lately... but she's right that we're headed into uncharted territory. I need to be more careful with all of this._

* * *

"I'm not going to tell you to cut off being around Adrien as Ladybug _or_ as Marinette," Tikki had explained to her. "Partly because I know what that would do to both of you. I'm not sure that anything Hawkmoth can make could push you two apart right now," she'd grinned. "And I am seeing a lot of good coming from your new closeness. He's looking so much happier and stable since you started reaching out to him, both ways, and you're glowing like I've never seen you glow before. But I hadn't figured on things escalating this much this _quickly!"_

"I know..." Marinette replied, blushing hard and feeling guilty.

"And I understand _why_ it did, too," Tikki reassured her. "I watched you trying so hard to follow his lead and not push things forwards unless he did... but then he led you right into that beautiful song he'd written about you. I think I would've kissed him, too! And then nature set the mood even more... I'm glad you were both mature enough to stop where you did!"

Marinette's stunned face made Tikki add, "I'm not _surprised_ that you both stopped there, don't get me wrong! You both know better than that at your age. But you understand why I'm concerned, right?" The Kwami floated closer and added, "You were trying to keep things light both ways with him, until you both figured out who and what he wants most. Getting physical like that kind of jumped way past 'light,' and that's why you spent the next half-hour talking him down off the ledge. And now things are that much more complicated."

"Yeah. He seemed overwhelmed, even before the kissing, and I felt so bad for him! Adrien's _really_ concerned about hurting my feelings," mused Marinette, wide-eyed. "I mean, I knew that he would be... he's sweet like that... but he's _so_ terrified that he's going to hurt me, especially as Marinette. It's not like he'd be breaking up with me; we haven't even started anything yet!"

"Haven't you?" chided Tikki.

When Marinette stared back wordlessly, Tikki continued. "He's been confiding his deepest thoughts and feelings to you. He's walking you to school, he's calling and texting you at night, he's been giving you those eyes, he held your hand, he asked you on a date, Marinette! When he found out about your feelings for him, he didn't apologize and make sure that you stayed friends; he apologized a dozen times and started _responding back_. I think more has started than maybe you realize."

"Something's growing there," mumbled Marinette, "I can feel that. What it is, I'm not sure yet. But you make it sound like how he feels about Ladybug and about me are... equal! And I'm not sure about that yet, either."

Tikki's raised eyebrow made Marinette a little uneasy. "Hey, I'm not getting all 'woe is me, I can't compete with Ladybug,'" she added. "Because I'M Ladybug! But it's like Nino told me; Adrien really likes me, but he's _crazy_ about Ladybug."

"Ladybug had a big head start, that's true," Tikki replied. "But as Marinette, you've caught up really fast this last week or two. You can't feel that?"

"I think I can, but... my head understands it. My heart's still not sure," sighed Marinette. "They keep me up at night with their arguing."

"And that's part of why Adrien's so overwhelmed right now," soothed Tikki. "Because you're one person trying to figure out how best to love one person, even if you pretend that you're two different people. He's one person who has deep feelings for _two,_ and they both love him back!"

* * *

The Kwami had paused to gather her thoughts, trying to phrase her next thought carefully.

"Imagine something for me, okay?" began Tikki. "Imagine that you and Luka started getting close like you and Adrien have been. Spending time, talking about anything and everything, doing lots of things together like a couple. You feel your feelings growing, so you ask him out on a date, and he says yes. Then that night, Adrien comes over to see you and he ends up kissing you. Would you feel conflicted and worried and ready to pull your hair out?"

It sank in for Marinette, as she looked increasingly anxious while processing that. "I... I don't..." she stammered. "The last thing I ever intended was to cause more problems for Adrien... am I making things _worse_ for him, Tikki?"

"Not intentionally, but you know that," Tikki answered. "If you're hurting him by being there for him and caring for him and getting closer to him twice over, we should all be so lucky! But like he told you last night, he's never thought of romance before as something where he can go partway. He wants to fall hard for one side of you, and he's found himself falling for both. And that's something that you need to consider going forward."

"Yeah. That's... wow, that's big," said Marinette. "I'm so new at this. I've never had one boy who's seriously wanted to go out with me, let alone two! I don't know _how_ I'd react."

 _Never?_ wondered Tikki. _Luka's interest never registered with her that way? He didn't make a lot of direct overtures, but I didn't think that he'd need to..._

"Let me put it another way, then," Tikki explained. "Ever since that day with the umbrella, your love life has been Adrien-shaped in your head. Maybe there has been someone else interested in you, and maybe there hasn't," she grinned. "But you didn't notice if there was, because all you could see was Adrien. That's how Adrien was with Ladybug; he wasn't ignoring your affection, it just didn't register as romantic with him because he had Ladybug on the brain. But now... _now he sees you, too_. So be gentle with him, okay?"

"I... I will. Do you think he understood what I meant by what I said afterwards?" asked Marinette, looking concerned. "That all of that kissing _was_ important, but it shouldn't mean that things have been decided yet between us?"

"I think so," Tikki agreed. "He's a smart boy, and his feelings are genuine both ways. So that leaves us with a couple of questions. How do we protect your identity as Ladybug now, and how do we get Adrien feeling more romantic one way than the other?"

* * *

Marinette rolled onto her stomach, remembering Tikki's next question... "Which way would _you_ rather have him?"

 _That's... I just don't know yet,_ thought Marinette. _Not entirely._

 _I mean, I know which way would work better, logically... As Marinette, I can't swing from buildings, but there are things I _can_ do that would be tougher as Ladybug. Dating as Marinette and Adrien would let us spend more time together; so much less sneaking around, and we can bring our friends and family into it more... like, how would I bring him home for dinner as Ladybug? Or have him meet my parents? Or our house and our three kids and our hamster?_

 _And I have wanted him as Marinette for_ _SO long_... she smiled. _And every time he gives me those soft, romantic eyes as Marinette, I just want to scream!_

 _So that would be the smart thing to do._

 _But is it what HE wants to do? Especially after what just happened?_

 _Tikki was right that Adrien really has been looking at me with new eyes lately... but he _loves_ Ladybug. I felt that in his song, his words, his touch, his kisses... so much. That's impossible for me to ignore, no matter what else is growing._

 _And there are some ways that I can could make it work as Ladybug. I know that there are._ She giggled, picturing herself wearing street clothes over her costume, or passing herself off as a cosplayer. _Maybe I could get Tikki to work out some 'casual wear' costumes for me, too._ _I've got his email and phone. His father knows about Ladybug's visits and interest, from what Adrien's told me, and he doesn't seem to mind the potential for publicity. If we need private time together, I can take Adrien places that no one else could reach. Other than Chat Noir, anyway..._

 _It could work. The question is whether it _should_ work._

* * *

"As far as your identity goes," Tikki had continued, "you know that I trust you... but you also know how close you just came to giving it away. When I was talking about a friendly rivalry, I don't mean that I want you to start playacting more than you have to, making up a lot of things going on between Ladybug and yourself. You're... not the best at that kind of thing."

Marinette had raised an eyebrow in protest... then agreed, sheepishly. "Besides, I'd rather stick to as much truth as possible. The more I end up making things up, the more likely I am to mess something up," Marinette had replied.

"Exactly," Tikki said. "Like I said before, you're already doing ninety percent of what you need to do. Around other people, you act as if Ladybug and Marinette are different people, and you do it very well almost all of the time. He thinks that the two of you are friendly with each other, and I want you to keep it that way! But Ladybug is telling him 'Give Marinette a chance' and Marinette is telling him 'Give Ladybug a chance.' Well, if I was Marinette Dupain-Cheng, I'd certainly tell him that Ladybug just _got_ her chance in a big way."

"I can't really argue with that," agreed Marinette. "If Ladybug doesn't have his full attention _now,_ I'd better check his pulse."

"So he'll probably approach you next as Marinette, and tell you all about what happened last night, and he'll have a look on his face like he just ran over your dog the whole time," argued Tikki. "It's up to you how you handle that. But I _need_ you to be _consistent,_ okay? If you think that you may want him dating Marinette and best-friending Ladybug, you're going to need to assert yourself as Marinette, and make sure that he knows that he's not going to have two steady girlfriends in the long run."

Tikki circled around, nervously. "You could tell him that you understand that he's still making up his mind, and you... well, you do whatever seems right to you. I'm sure that you could be quite persuasive that his choice should be you, whether or not you get kissy! He's halfway there already, every time that you bat your eyes at him. Or if you decide that you want him dating Ladybug instead, you can say that, but do it in a way that he knows for sure that Marinette's not heartbroken and still wants to be his very close friend. Or if _he_ finally says 'This person is who I'm in love with,' then you've got the direction you wanted."

She met Marinette's gaze, and was glad to see Marinette taking all of this very seriously. "What we do next depends on which way you two choose to proceed. But Marinette and Ladybug, both going out of their way to support each other out the way that you have been... that needs to _stop_ until one of you makes that decision. It's too obvious if you don't. You need to put a little distance between your two selves before he figures out that there isn't any distance."

"Tikki... do _you_ have a preference as to which way we should go? I can probably guess that you do," asked Marinette.

The tiny Kwami hesitated. "I... don't want to tell you what your own feelings are," she managed. "Or that anything is _completely_ off limits. Would it be easier to manage if it went a certain way? Yeah, it would be, and you understand why. But like you've told Adrien... you each love who you love, the way that you love them. Sometimes the most sensible thing isn't the right thing for two people. And I know that you want him to make that decision... but if he can't, you might have to, before one or both of you gets hurt."

* * *

With all of that fresh in her memory, Marinette laid flat on her back, pondering what would be best to do next.

 _I can't blame Adrien at all for being confused,_ she thought. _Now that I'm thinking harder about the situation, I'd be a wreck if I was in his shoes._

 _And I would be so happy to date him as either side of me. If _I_ can't choose, is it fair of me to expect him to?_

 _Not really._ _So I guess I'd better make my mind up._

 _Which'll it be, Marinette? Costumed kisses halfway up the Eiffel Tower or hand-holding with silly grins on the way home from school?_

Marinette closed her eyes, picturing Adrien's smitten face as they cuddled on his couch... then his, she had to admit, nearly-as-smitten face as they hugged after detention on Friday.

Her lips tingled, remembering what Adrien's felt like against them... then when imagining what one on her unmasked face would feel like.

She pictured the worried look on Adrien's face when he spoke of how worried he was that he'd hurt her... and her stomach tied itself in a knot.

 _Concentrate, Marinette,_ she ordered herself. _You are_ _NOT ruining Adrien's life. You are doing so much good for him, and you know it, and every time he looks at you... mask or no mask... you can FEEL that._

 _But Tikki's right. One of us will have to make a decision, or at least declare a preference. It might just be up to me to guide that so that neither one of us gets hurt by it._

 _And that decision..._

She glanced down at her phone, which had just started ringing.

 _...Will wait until after I talk with Alya._

* * *

"Hi, Alya! What's up?" asked Marinette, pleasantly.

"Hey, girl! I've got something I'm trying to figure out, and I was hoping you could help me," her friend replied.

"Shoot," said Marinette.

"I'm sitting here with my boyfriend," Alya began, "who just spent the afternoon with a certain blonde classmate of ours."

"Uh-huh," replied Marinette, a little nervously. "What did Nino have to say about that?"

"Very little! I mean, they hung out, they worked on one of Nino's new mixes together, the usual stuff. And then I brought up _you._ The girl who's been driving Adrien crazy lately, and we can all see that's been happening. And since Adrien was with his best friend, the one guy that he might talk about it with or ask for advice..." Alya's voice was light and teasing. "So you can understand why Nino _clamming up entirely_ about what they talked about seems a little odd, hmmm?"

"Well, maybe Adrien asked Nino to keep what they said confidential," countered Marinette. "A secret between close friends. Like some of the ones we have that _you've_ never told Nino. There are still some of _those_ , right?"

"Oh! Oh, of course there are," Alya assured her. _"Lots_ of those. He'll never know about the time that you went on a mission to swipe Adrien's phone and-"

"HEY! He's right there!" Marinette cried out, which made Alya break up laughing.

"I know, I'm teasing you. Anyway, I figured that _my_ best friend was going to tell me all about what happened in detention and afterwards, and I hadn't heard from her yet..."

"I'm sorry about that," Marinette apologized. "I didn't mean to leave you hanging, things have just been... um... complicated this weekend? I had some family things going on, and, uh..."

"Some Adrien things going on, perhaps?" laughed Alya. "Come on, spill! If nothing had happened, Nino would tell me that. But you're not talking, Nino's not talking, and I'm dying to know at least some of what's going on!"

Marinette only paused briefly before giggling. "Exactly what is it that you think we're hiding? We wrote back and forth on notepads all through detention, like you and I do in class. I think we like each other. I walked him to his car, and I waved as it pulled away. Is that so complicated?"

Alya looked confused. "That's it? I mean, that's all good news, but then why wouldn't Nino just tell me that?" she said.

"Oh, and Adrien asked me out on a date," added Marinette, as calmly as she could manage.

* * *

Several seconds passed quietly.

A car honked in the distance.

A pair of birds flew by the window, one chasing the other.

 _"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?"_ cried Alya, as Marinette collapsed into laughter. "Well, _you_ buried the lede! How in the _heck_ did you not get on the phone ten seconds after it happened?"

"It wasn't easy," grinned Marinette. "Plus, we were in detention when he did, so I couldn't talk out loud or use my phone."

"I am _so_ happy for you! So are you his girlfriend now, for real?" bubbled Alya.

"Not... quite. It's a little complicated, so _please_ don't make a scene tomorrow morning, okay?" asked Marinette.

"You're not?" asked Alya, sounding stunned. "What happened? What went wrong?"

"Let me explain..." began Marinette, as she related as much of her detention story as she could to her friend...

* * *

 _I have to leave out the Ladybug parts with Alya or that'll open up a dozen cans of worms,_ thought Marinette as she told her tale. _But I don't want to lie at all to Alya unless it's by necessary omission._

"...So it's not that I _won't_ be his girlfriend. It's that we're going to take it slow, try some dates together, and see how everything works out for us," Marinette concluded. "Which seems like a smart approach to me."

"You're ready for that?" asked Alya, a little unsure. "You can hold back from wanting more right away? Because I know that you do."

"If it means that I'm actually _dating_ him while we figure it out? Darn straight," beamed Marinette. "If it's meant to be, it might multiply fast. And I'm loving it so far!"

The two talked things over for the next hour until Marinette got called down to supper.

* * *

As she hung up, Alya glanced across the room at Nino, who had been trying to eavesdrop enough to prepare without being obvious. "So... what did she say?" he asked, dryly.

"That she's not Adrien's girlfriend yet, but that he's asked her out on a date! They don't know when it'll happen yet," smiled Alya. "So that's part of what's going on. _Your_ turn!"

"What makes you think that there's more to tell?" asked Nino, sensing the inevitable.

"Because if that's all it was, I know that you'd have told me. That means that there's a bigger secret lurking somewhere," she replied. "And you're going to tell me what that is."

"I... I really shouldn't," Nino mumbled, as he watched Alya approach him, grinning. "He told me not to talk about... whatever it is that we didn't talk about."

"One, you're a really bad liar, Nino. Your heart's not in it, and I can see that. Two, I'm your loving girlfriend, and you wouldn't hide secrets from little old _me,_ now, would you? Three, I'm Marinette's best friend. If there's something going on that she needs to know about, I can help prepare her or protect her." Alya's facial expression danced dangerously as she got closer. "And four..."

"What's four?" asked Nino, cowering.

"I know where _every one_ of your ticklish spots is," she cackled.

 _Adrien, I tried,_ thought Nino, as he backed into a corner...

* * *

At that moment, Adrien had his own surprises to contend with.

"Good evening, son," Gabriel intoned, striding confidently into the main dining room. "Is this seat taken?"

"...Of course not," Adrien replied, watching his father pull up a chair across from him as the staff sprang into action. He glanced over at Nathalie, two seats over from Gabriel, and got an enigmatic smile back from her. "I'm glad that you have the time to join us."

"A slow day, for once," his father shrugged. "What with the photoshoot cancellation and the Gallagher contract signing being delayed, I had an easy time of it. Believe me, I will not complain. In addition, a young man told me that he would not mind enjoying more meals with me..."

"He did," agreed Adrien, a smile beginning to form.

"What are we expecting tonight?" asked Gabriel, in Nathalie's direction.

"Center-cut beef tenderloin, Béarnaise sauce, shallot whipped potatoes, something with romanesco, I forget just what Michel told me he was doing with it. He suggests a Château au Pont de Guitres to pair with it this evening," recited Nathalie.

"That will do nicely," smiled Gabriel.

"And for me?" asked Adrien, turning her way.

"The same," Gabriel interjected, "minus the wine, of course." He paused to take in his son's reaction, and noted, "You appear surprised."

"Happily, believe me!" Adrien replied. "I suppose that I was expecting something a bit more..."

"Finely-tuned? Nutritionally focused?" his father asked.

"Spartan?" added Nathalie, drawing a look from Gabriel.

"...Grainy. Or chickeny. Or devoid of taste," replied Adrien, a little hesitantly.

"I have been doing some thinking, Adrien," his father continued, after a sip of his wine. "You are, after all, a growing young man; not so much a growing boy any longer. Obviously, I am not about to grant you _carte blanche_ in all matters... we do have a vested interest in keeping you perfectly photogenic and representative of our business, after all! But perhaps we should experiment with loosening those reins a bit. Allowing you a bit more... normality, shall I say? Additional freedoms, responsibilities... choices to make, and we can see how things go."

Nathalie shot Gabriel an unmistakable _What are you DOING?_ expression, which he ignored for the moment. "Does that sound agreeable to you, Adrien?" he asked, intently.

"Extremely so," his son grinned.

"Excellent. We will discuss this further sometime this week, rather than take up all of supper with it," smiled Gabriel. "How did you spend your day?"

Gabriel listened to Adrien as he described his afternoon, suppressing most of his discomfort through force of will whenever the word "Nino" came up.

"I see," Gabriel mused. "So your friend is advising you on your... romantic dilemma?"

"As best he can. He's not my only source of input, of course, but he's making sense," Adrien replied. "I know that you're still not particularly fond of Nino, Father, but he has a good head on his shoulders; he's a lot more practical and sensible than you might be able to tell from his manner, and he knows Marinette very well."

"I can respect that," said Gabriel. "And whom do you know that knows Ladybug very well?"

"I'm not sure how to answer that," shrugged Adrien, with a smile. "I can't exactly look Chat Noir up in the phone book, and if I'm making time with his partner, he might not want me to! Behind her mask, I don't know her name or much personal information about her; I might walk right by her every day and not even realize it. But I'm learning all that she'll let me learn as we go."

"Very interesting," Gabriel smiled back, slyly, like a cat eyeing a canary. "Before long, you might be uniquely qualified to provide certain... insights regarding our Heroine of Paris."

After a moment's uneasy silence, Gabriel returned to his previous demeanor. "How about this?" he asked. "Nathalie, which nights this week have the most available time for us?"

"Sir?" Nathalie asked, caught off guard as she reached for her tablet. "Let me see here... I hadn't anticipated... Thursday and Friday, depending on how the negotiations with Chanel go... if we move this meeting _here_ , and adjust this to... I'd say that Thursday night would be your most flexible."

"In that case, I have a job for you, son," grinned Gabriel, turning back to Adrien. "Would you invite one of your lady friends to join us for supper Thursday night? I am quite interested in learning more about these two, as both of them seem to be doing you a world of good lately. Let me know if there are any food allergies or preferences to consider, and I will have Michel make something extraordinary for the occasion."

"I'd... be happy to ask them!" replied Adrien, looking surprised. "Is there one or the other whom you'd prefer to meet first?"

"Certainly not both at once, but I would assume that you already understood that," Gabriel laughed. "Lest they throw bread rolls at each other across the table once they know that they are each other's competition! Perhaps if you feel that one of them is lagging behind a little, invite that one, to reassure her that she remains high in your affections. The other will get her turn before long, as well."

"I'll give that some thought!" said Adrien, brightly. "But in the meantime," he added, gesturing at the approaching staff carrying covered trays.

"Indeed! Enjoy your supper," his father smiled.

* * *

Marinette spent her evening touching up her homework assignments, then putting a couple of design ideas on paper as rough sketches. Some soft music in the background was the only sound in the room, other than her dancing pencils.

At intervals, she stared at one of her cell phones, then the other. _All right, darn it. ONE of you had better ring tonight,_ she smiled to herself.

About half an hour later, a sound drew her attention, but it came from neither of her phones; rather, from her computer. Marinette rolled her chair over and checked Ladybug's email account...

 **To my guardian angel,**

 **I wanted to thank you for last night - in so many ways. For the company, for the pizzas, for thinking of me, for trusting me, for spending the blackout with me... for a great many firsts for both of us.**

 **I had an absolutely wonderful time... and in those few moments when I didn't, you were irreplaceable. But, then again, when are you not? :)**

 **I hope that we can see each other again sometime very soon.**

 **\- Adrien**

Marinette glowed in her chair for a little while, taking his message in. She thought for a moment, then replied:

 **Hey there,**

 **I had a great time, too. Even before the lights went out on us. :-x**

 **It sounded like we were on the same page when I left. A happy page, I hope! Still near the beginning of our book. Any time you want to talk about things, whether it's "us" or anything else, don't hesitate. As you've noticed, I can reach you in a hurry!**

 **Let me know when and where you want some more company - I'm thinking "A Night at the Opera" for our next movie night - or if you need someone to get you out of the house for a while! I have some ideas as to how we could hide in plain sight, if we want to.**

 **Thinking of you, LB**

 _That'll do. Affectionate and supportive, but not throwing myself at_ him, she thought with a smile. _Well, at least his friends aren't telling him that he's uncool if he doesn't wait three days to call or contact me..._

 _Wait... am _I_ looking desperate if I just responded to him right away?_

She giggled at the thought.

 _That's one side accounted for. I wonder if -_

At that moment, her everyday phone rang. Seeing Adrien's incoming call, she smiled again. _Aren't I popular tonight?_

* * *

"Hi!" beamed Marinette. "I was just thinking about you!"

"Hey, Marinette," Adrien began. "How was your weekend?"

"Pretty good, I guess... that storm last night was pretty nasty, so I did my best to stay inside. Just hanging out today," she drawled. "How about you? Do anything fun this weekend?"

"Ah... you could say that," he mumbled. "Marinette, I really need to see you... for more than a few reasons."

"Oh?" Marinette replied, shifting instantly into concern mode. "Are you all right, Adrien? Did something bad happen?"

"No! Well - I don't - I don't want to scare you by saying that," Adrien stammered, with a slight laugh mixed in. "I do have something that I need to talk to you about... but it's nothing terrible, I promise, and mostly I just wanted to _talk to you_. You've been on my mind all day."

"I like the sound of that better, I think," smiled Marinette, still feeling a little anxious. "What else is on your mind? Something with your dad?"

"Actually, it's funny that you mentioned him right now. I just got surprised, but in a _good_ way this time..."

* * *

Alya sat with her head in her hands, taking in Nino's inevitable admission.

"There's _another girl?_ " she asked him, not wanting to believe it.

"Does that surprise you all that much? Adrien's nice, he's handsome, he's rich... it's a wonder that there aren't more applicants lined up. Chloé, for one, would throw herself onto that list in a heartbeat," argued Nino.

Nino moved over and sat next to Alya, doing his best to lighten the situation. "But he's also a pretty private kind of guy; he doesn't throw himself around romantically. He's not looking to play the field; he'd much rather give all of his affection to one girl. And I _promise you,_ he's strongly considering Marinette to be that girl."

"And you're not going to tell me the other girl's name," grumbled Alya.

"I'm not, because I don't know it! He says it's not someone from our school, and I believe him." _Largely because it's hard for me to picture Ladybug sitting in Physics class with her suit and mask on,_ Nino thought to himself.

"I know that your reporter's instincts are all kicking in, wanting to go charging out and confront Adrien or spy on him and find out who this mystery girl is," he continued. "I, uh... don't think that's a really good idea this time. Not yet, anyway!"

"Why not?" demanded Alya, accusingly. "You don't think that I could find out? I want to help Marinette!"

"Oh, I know all about your powers of persuasion. I just suffered through some of them," replied Nino.

"It wasn't _all_ suffering, now, was it?" chuckled Alya.

"That's beside the point," blushed Nino. "Anyway... what I'm trying to say is, Marinette _knows_ what's going on. Adrien's being completely honest with her. He's scared out of his mind about hurting her; believe me, if it does go the other way, he'll be beyond gentle, and he wants to give Marinette every shot at this. He told me just how serious he is about their upcoming dates."

 _"Dates?_ More than one?" she marveled. "Marinette didn't tell me that part!"

"Let's let them figure it out, okay?" pleaded Nino. "I'll get what I can from Adrien, you get what you can from Marinette, and we'll compare notes. But this time, I get the feeling that Marinette knows exactly what she's doing."

* * *

The conversation danced around for quite some time. Marinette stared up at her ceiling as she talked, one foot pressed lightly against the wall next to her bed, looking and feeling relaxed.

"I'm glad that things seem like they're working out so much better, Adrien. But can I ask you something a little personal?" she ventured, a little hesitantly.

"Sure, anything," said Adrien.

"Am I right that you're a little _more_ than just surprised?" asked Marinette. "Almost like you're not sure if he's even sincere."

"You see right through me so easily," Adrien replied.

"You're worth watching closely," smiled Marinette. "Though I could be wrong about what I'm hearing..."

"No, you're not. I'm a little... well, I don't want to say 'suspicious,' that doesn't sound right. Let me put it another way..." struggled Adrien.

"Take your time. Only if you're comfortable," she assured him.

"You _make_ me comfortable."

Marinette did her best not to curl into a ball and squeal as he continued.

"My father and I have been complicated together for a long while now. Mostly since my mother's accident, though we had our moments before that, too," Adrien told her. "Ever since then, he's had a manipulative side to him that I hadn't really seen before. It's like everything's one big master plan for him, and he needs every part of it to go just how he wants it or, I don't know, the world will end or something."

He sighed, quietly. "When we were having our bad problems recently, the ones that you helped me get through, that feeling was _really_ intense. I felt like a puzzle piece that didn't fit where he wanted me to go, and he was going to just shove me through there even if pieces of me broke off. Now, he's killing me with kindness. And that's kind of what I've wanted to see from him from a long while! But I can't shake the feeling that it's..." he trailed off.

"Replacing the stick with the carrot?" Marinette asked.

 _"Exactly!"_ he exclaimed. "I'm not sure about this. Maybe he really does want to reach out and be a... caring father again," Adrien added, quietly. "And he's not quite sure how to do that without my mother to guide him. Or maybe he's decided that he'll catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, and he's just changed his tactics with me, to get me to do... whatever it is he wants me to do. Which is more pleasant than before... but it means I'm still a fly."

"Cutest fly I know," replied Marinette. "And the sweetest."

"I'd buzz over there right now, if I could," he laughed.

 _You know... that's actually tempting,_ Adrien thought to himself. _Chat Noir hasn't paid a visit to Marinette's balcony lately. If I did it _right now_ it'd be a bit of a giveaway, but I might just have to put my ears on and do that soon..._

"I'd keep my window open for you. Maybe just a crack, 'cause it's cold outside," she giggled.

"Speaking of... insects and windows..." Adrien said, a little hesitantly. "That thing I need to talk with you about? We can do it tonight, or if you'd rather, we can wait and talk about it in person..."

"Somehow I think I know just the 'Bug you're talking about," replied Marinette. "You can tell me now, if you want to. I won't promise that I'll like it, but I'm here to listen. How did things go?"

* * *

The next several minutes were awkward for both of them. Adrien was gentlemanly enough to leave out the more salacious details and to emphasize the conversation he and Ladybug had shared afterwards, but he didn't sugarcoat it; Ladybug had kissed him, and he'd kissed her back, and it had happened far more than once that night, and there was no getting around those facts.

Marinette did her best to maintain what she felt was a realistic mood; sympathetic and understanding, but also a little uncomfortable. _He passed a really big test_ , she smiled to herself; _he's being completely honest with me about what happened and why. He's trying _so_ hard not to hurt me._

When he'd reached the end of his story, Adrien fell silent. Marinette wrestled within herself for the right response.

"I'm... well, I'm glad that you told me, Adrien. I mean that very much," she began. "I'm not sure how happy I am for _me_ about it... but I'm happy for you. I know that what happened was something you'd been wanting for a very long time."

"It was," Adrien said, simply. "I won't lie to you and say that it wasn't."

"So how do _you_ feel about it? About the two of you and where you stand?" asked Marinette, in a quiet voice.

"I'm kind of... stuck. I don't know how else to describe it," he replied. "You are both amazing. If I end up hurting either one of you, I don't deserve either one of you. I'm still not sure that I do in the first place."

He paused, then added, "There are a lot of new feelings in me that I'm trying to figure out. Like, one of the things I'm trying to get out of my head is the idea that it's some kind of competition, if you know what I mean. That my heart's a prize to be won, or yours is, or hers is! I had kind of a schoolboy crush going on for a long time, and I've never had... well, I'd never _known_ that I had someone with real feelings for me."

Marinette squirmed a little at the emotion behind Adrien's words. "Maybe that's part of growing up. I have a lot of growing up to do, I think. I ought to, I'm only fourteen!" he laughed. "But it's so much more complicated than I'd ever imagined now that it's happening."

"I... get what you mean, Adrien," offered Marinette. "You're not the only one who's had daydreams and wishes and crushes, and all of a sudden, everything's a lot more real and happening all at once."

"I don't want to read too much into the kissing with Ladybug. She insisted that I shouldn't, and she's right," Adrien continued. "I mean, it _was_ a big deal for both of us! But it kind of happened all in a rush, and it shouldn't make my mind up all by itself. Ladybug made very sure that we stopped to think and talk about it afterwards, and we both needed that to happen."

"Well, I _know_ that one kiss doesn't make your mind up by itself," Marinette replied, in a lightly teasing voice. "Because if I remember that picnic with our class correctly, _I_ kissed you before Ladybug did!"

* * *

That stopped Adrien in his tracks. "Well, uh... yeah, of course you did! But that kiss wasn't..." he replied, stumbling over his words a bit.

"Wasn't it?" asked Marinette, with some urgency in her voice.

His memory shot back to that moment; the heartfelt things that he'd said to Marinette that day, her running up to him as he was leaving, the look in her eyes as she leaned forward, her soft lips against his cheek, the feelings that he now knew were behind it...

 _The only thing wrong with that kiss was that I was too stunned and too _stupid_ to return it right then and there,_ he thought.

"What it should've been was my wake-up call," Adrien admitted with a sigh. "I knew that it was sincere when it happened. I wish I'd known just _how_ sincere, like I know now. But I still had spots in my eyes that day."

"Don't beat yourself up over that, Adrien," Marinette replied. "What you feel now is more important."

"And what I feel," said Adrien, "is that I'm still very serious about our dates, if _you're_ still interested. I hope that you are, but I'd understand if you just said 'go be with Ladybug' after hearing all this. It can't have been easy to hear me say that."

 _"Well,_ it's not every day that I hear a story like that, it's true," soothed Marinette. "But I wouldn't be much of a friend if I _told_ you to give Ladybug a chance and then shut you out because you did and she took it." _And I'd be one hell of a hypocrite,_ she thought. "Of _course_ I'm still interested."

"Marinette... I'm-"

"On two conditions," she added.

"...Okay?" said Adrien, a bit surprised. "What are they?"

"One, that since you and Ladybug are looking at each other with clearer eyes now... if I hear about another makeout session with her, I'll assume that you've made your decision and that you and I will be just good friends. I completely get why this one happened, and I'm not mad or jealous! Honest, I'm not. But if you and I end up as something a lot more than friends, _that_ part of you I won't be sharing with her, or anyone else."

She saw Adrien's eyes widen a bit as she continued with a grin. "Now, before you get all worried... no, I won't be saying 'never touch Ladybug again' if we do get serious. Friends hug, friends can la bise, or if you jump off another building, by all means let Ladybug catch you," Marinette giggled. "I know that you'd never cheat on either one of us. And I'm sure that she'd extend me the same courtesy if she ends up dating you and we're just friends."

"She'd let you catch me if I jump off a building?" wondered Adrien, who got a raspberry in response.

"All right, smart guy. You know what I mean, though, right? You and I aren't going steady yet. You're certainly allowed to explore your options, and it doesn't hurt me that you did. But there's a difference between getting swept up in a moment and making out on purpose. Does that make sense?" asked Marinette.

"Yeah, it does! But about one thing you said just now..." Adrien began.

"Marinette... you and I are never going to be 'just friends' again. Not after everything we've been through together these last couple of weeks, and especially not now that I know how you feel. Just the way that we've been talking tonight... I _love_ this, being this close to you! I've always known that you were a special person, but it took me far too long to realize how wonderful you truly are. I'm never going to forget that, no matter what we end up being to each other."

 _"Oh,_ " Marinette managed, an intense rush of blood to her face providing the rest of her response.

* * *

"Darkwings... fall," intoned Hawkmoth, returning to his normal form as Gabriel Agreste.

As he rode the elevated platform back into the above-ground portions of his mansion, he saw Nathalie standing in the room, waiting for him. "Yes?" he asked her.

"I was just curious... what _was_ all of that at supper tonight? Loosening the reins, giving Adrien more freedom, dinner invitations? I know you have something in mind, but it just seemed so... _odd_ coming from you that I wanted to make sure that we're on the same page."

"I just scanned the emotions of my son, and of the surrounding areas of Paris as well. Do you know what I found in the way of adolescent heartbreak and despair?" asked Gabriel. "Not one bit. At least not from anyone in whom I am actively searching for it. That tells me a couple of things."

Nathalie nodded for him to continue. "That one part of my plan, easing the emotional gauntlet I had been making my son run through, is succeeding; between that and his lady friends' influence, Adrien is back in a good place mentally. That is good for him for now, _and_ it is a sufficient height from which he may fall when the trap is sprung, for maximum impact and likelihood of success. The other, simply put, is that the budding love triangle has not yet had time and opportunity to become suitably complicated."

"So... you're providing that time and opportunity?" asked Nathalie, catching on.

"A teenage boy, given the tools to do so, will almost invariably dig himself into a hole. One deep in the throes of young and first love, and a love triangle to boot? It is a simple matter of time," smiled Gabriel. "So, if we can bring one of his ladies into our immediate circle, influence her as we may, then repeat the process with the other? I feel that the moment for our master plan will present itself soon afterwards."

"What should I do in the meantime?" asked Nathalie.

"Continue to monitor Adrien's progress. Be there as his informal advisor, as questions arise. Nothing too fancy. Once we have a dinner guest's confirmation, then we can brainstorm what comes next..."

* * *

"There was a second condition, right?" asked Adrien, after a moment.

"Y-yeah! Yes, there was," stammered Marinette, trying to keep her voice steady. "Actually, it's more of a request than a condition. I know that you've met my mom and dad... but not for more than a few minutes at a time. I know that they're really curious about you, and I've got this sweet, sensitive, handsome boy in my life and I'm dying to show him off!"

It was Adrien's turn to glow a faint red as she continued. "So... would it be all right with you if you came over for supper some night this week? Maybe even as soon as Tuesday? You can get to know each other better, my mother's cooking is excellent and she can make anything you'd like, and my father's promised an amazing dessert..."

"...What?" she asked, confused, as she heard Adrien begin laughing. "I mean, if it's going to be a problem with your father or something, we don't have to, but why is that so funny?"

"Because when I called you tonight, I was planning on asking you the _exact same thing_!" Adrien replied. "My father is quite curious about you, too, and he asked me to invite you over to meet him some night soon. He was thinking about Thursday. And _I_ have this wonderful, beautiful classmate in my life, someone who has me thinking of her all the time without her even trying..."

"Stop, you!" bubbled Marinette. "I'll have you know that I've tried _very hard_."

"...someone with impressive design skills that have caught even my father's attention, and I'm dying to show _her_ off!" continued Adrien, undaunted.

Marinette stopped in mid-protest. "Your _father..._ knows who _I_ am? As a _design student_ , not just as your friend?" she managed.

"His son wore one of your designs on an Agreste runway. How often do you think that kind of thing happens?" Adrien smiled. "So, yes, he knew who you were as soon as I mentioned you. And I _might_ just have talked about you a little bit... or more than a little bit... Not to mention that he's watched his troubled son cheer up considerably recently, and I've made sure that he knows that you're a huge reason why that happened."

"Adrien, I... I don't know what to say," Marinette replied.

"Say 'Yes, I'll have supper with you Thursday night at your place!' And of course I'll do the same, whenever you'll have me," beamed Adrien. "Can I meet you on the way to school tomorrow and we'll talk about it then?"

"Sure! I'll walk over with you any morning; you don't need to ask. In fact, let me know when there's a morning that I _shouldn't_ wait for you at the bakery," grinned Marinette. "But don't think that I don't know that you're getting fringe benefits out of that..."

"Ah, yes. The old date-the-girl-to-get-the-free-macarons trick. I should have known that you'd recognize that," chuckled Adrien.

"All right, I have a couple of things to get done before bedtime. You and I are good?" asked Marinette.

"Very good, I think... though I know when I'll be a little bit better," Adrien replied.

"When's that?"

"Tomorrow morning."

* * *

After a pause, Marinette whispered in a warm voice, "For someone who's never had a girlfriend before... you know exactly what to say, Adrien."

"Do I have one now?" Adrien whispered back, innocently.

"I'm... not sure," replied Marinette, quietly. "You do want one?"

"Very much."

Marinette let that hang in the air for a few seconds.

"Do you want her to be _me_?" she asked.

"I might," mused Adrien. "I could be very, very, very happy with you. I know that."

"But you're still not completely sure about the rest..." said Marinette.

"I really want to find out, and soon," he said. "Do you _want_ to be that?"

Another pause. "That depends."

"On what?" asked Adrien.

"If that's what _you_ want me to be." Marinette took a deep breath. "Or if your heart is still set on red-and-black, and if we're better like _this,_ I can be _this."_

"Marinette?" Adrien's voice was soft and pleading. "I need a different answer than that. Don't put what I want first - I know that it's your nature to put others first, and it's one of many reasons why you amaze me _all the time_ \- but don't do it this time, okay?"

"Okay," she breathed.

"This isn't me asking, officially... quite yet. I want to take the whole ride with you to find out how we fit. I want to do family dinners with you, I want to go places with you, I want to snuggle with you, I want to learn everything I can about you," Adrien said. "But if I asked you right now if you wanted to be my girlfriend, for real..."

" _Very much_." Marinette's voice was just above a whisper. "I really, _really_ do. But we don't have to decide that tonight, Adrien. I want the whole ride, too. Let's find out for sure."

"I'm tingling over here," Adrien said.

"Me, too," giggled Marinette. "I think I need to get some sleep before my alarm goes off and we're still doing this."

"I'll meet you in the morning, and we'll walk over together and figure out when we'll do supper and where?" asked Adrien.

"That sounds perfect to me."

"In that case... sweet dreams, Marinette," Adrien replied.

"Feel free to visit them, if you like," she purred before hanging up. "Good night, Adrien."

* * *

Having been listening in from just underneath Marinette's bed, Tikki floated silently over to her favorite nook on the computer desk. She allowed herself a smile and a small sigh of relief, once out of earshot.

 _It sounded like Marinette took my advice and played things just right,_ she thought to herself. _If Adrien had any inkling yet that Marinette is Ladybug, he wouldn't have hesitated at all just now. He's still a little conflicted, and still carrying a torch for Ladybug, but he's VERY interested in Marinette now. That's just what she wanted, I think, and it'll let her slow the pace and not feel like she has to jump on him as Marinette if she wants him that way._

 _That jumping still might happen, of course,_ she giggled silently. _They _are_ still teenagers. But time will tell on that. I doubt that Adrien's written up a new Piano Concerto For Marinette just yet..._

 _So, for now, some balance has been restored. Marinette's feeling sweet and flirty and not nervous around Adrien, Adrien doesn't seem as wobbly about the girls in his life, and supper downstairs should have Marinette's parents wrapped around Adrien's little finger in no time. And if I'm lucky, that should settle the romance situation for a while._

 _I wonder, though..._

Tikki pondered the implications of supper with the Agrestes. _I might need to coach Marinette a little before that trip. I'm sure that she'll be nervous - this _is_ THE Gabriel Agreste inviting her to dine with him - and that whole thing that Adrien said about manipulation and master plans has me a little edgy._

 _We _did_ clear him as being a potential Hawkmoth... didn't we? But even without that worry, he is a crafty and powerful man. He doesn't know that Marinette is Ladybug, but if he knows that Ladybug likes Adrien that way, he might try to mold the situation to his advantage somehow._

 _Maybe I should talk to Plagg again for his side of how things are there. I don't know how observant he is most of the time, but he sees a lot more of the Agrestes than I do. He might have seen something worth mentioning, if he can wake up long enough to tell me._

 _One thing's for sure, though. Between whatever Mr. Dupain makes for Adrien and whatever the Agrestes' chefs make for Marinette... I should be delighted with whatever desserts Marinette can sneak under the table!_

Tikki watched as Marinette climbed down from her bed, humming a pleasant tune. She floated over to her computer, checked her emails quickly, then danced across to her dresser with a hop-step and a couple of spins.

"Someone's in an awfully good mood," Tikki called over, rather amused.

"Someone should be, wouldn't you say?" Marinette fluttered back. She made sure that everything was ready for an early start in the morning, then dashed over and kissed Tikki on the cheek. "Good night, Tikki," she beamed, then turned off the light and headed back up.

"Good night, Marinette. Sweet dreams," replied Tikki, then settled in for her own meditative rest.

 _I really think that we might be back on the right track,_ thought Tikki. _I sure hope so._

* * *

Plagg watched as Adrien woke up and hopped out of bed quickly, rising with the sun. "Are you all right?" he asked Adrien. "Usually, you're a snooze-button guy. And you were tossing and turning half the night!"

"Oh, I was asleep. Just dreaming," grinned Adrien, getting his clothes together quickly before heading to the shower.

" _Those_ kinds of dreams, huh? Ooooohh," cackled Plagg.

"I beg your pardon?" countered Adrien. "What kind of dreams are you implying they were?"

"You don't want me to say it out loud, kid," Plagg laughed. "You're young. Kissing and hugging and rolling around dreams will do for now."

"You can stop right there. I can assure you that those were _Marinette_ dreams. A lot more innocent than that," Adrien insisted. _Well... maybe one or two of them weren't _completely_ innocent, but _he_ doesn't need to know that or I'll never hear the end of it,_ he grinned to himself. _So much for "Feel free to visit my dreams"; I didn't have to, she was already camped out in mine!_

As he prepared for what he hoped would be a very pleasant morning, visions of the dreams he'd had floated through his mind. Some of them faded somewhat with awakeness, of course, but their themes were still very vivid in his mind's eye. A dark-haired, blue-eyed girl, gazing at him the way he'd always dreamed that a girl would look at him. Not just any girl, but the _right_ girl, the one who'd been captivating him so completely these last few weeks. Holding his hand. Writing him notes. Laying her head on his shoulder. Listening intently to him in detention, in a bathroom, in the library. Talking for hours on the phone. Watching movies with him. Telling him how much she cares for him, how worried she's been about him, how long that she's wanted him. Being his friend, his confidant, his wannabe girlfriend, his... partner?

 _Well, my subconscious is mixing things up big time, I see,_ he thought during his shower. _I have two beautiful blue-eyed girls in my life who care for me, and they're blending together in my dreams now? I really do need to start getting more sleep,_ he grinned. _THIS is why dating more than one person could be so dangerous! If I call one by the other's name, Marinette might whack me over the head with my own umbrella, or Ladybug might leave me dangling from the_ _Pont des Arts bridge!_

 _And I'd deserve it, too. I really need to straighten this out and stabilize this before either of them gets hurt. I care for both of them too much to let that happen._

 _Dreams. Who can understand them?_ Adrien chuckled.

He checked himself out in the mirror, making sure that every hair was in place. He closed his eyes and imagined Marinette coming down the stairs to the bakery... The way that her eyes light up when she sees him. The feel of her hand in his. The emotions running back and forth between them like an electric current. All the sweet things that she'd said last night.

With anticipation eating away at him, he grabbed his books and headed downstairs for a quick breakfast...

...but one other memory kept nagging at him, keeping him from being fully focused on the charming, giggly girl he was preparing to meet up with.

It was a soft voice, whispered in his ear in a dark room, saying...

 _"The boy I'd had my heart set on? It's you. It... always was."_

And, somehow, he could still hear its echoes.

* * *

Next time:

* "I screwed up just now. How, I have no idea..."

* A pleasant supper at Marinette's.

* "This might be above my pay grade."

* Cafeterias have no set seating charts.

* "I think everybody knows that it's happening but them."

* *TH-BMMP!*

* A chill in the air, and a long-awaited moment of truth.


	12. Setting the Table

Someone To Watch Over Me, Chapter 12: Setting the Table

* * *

Tikki looked on with amusement as Marinette darted back and forth across her bedroom, making sure that every detail was just right for her Monday morning walk to school.

"You know, he's not going to be able to see half of the work you're doing," giggled Tikki, watching Marinette fix her hair and compare two bottles of foundation. "It's cold enough today that you're both going to be bundled up under your winter gear."

"I know, I know!" muttered Marinette, performing some quick touch-up work. "I don't even want to know what static electricity will do to my hair today. That's one reason that I wear it pulled back! But we'll be inside after that, and I'll be right next to him for a few hours..."

She stared at her reflection, weighing whether she liked what she saw, then sighed. "I'm not trying way too hard, am I, Tikki? I mean, this is mostly just my everyday look, not a prom dress or something fancy... but I seem to have his attention now, and I'd like to keep it."

"I'm teasing you, Marinette. Relax," Tikki smiled. "You look just fine. And I think a bomb could go off next to Adrien while he's walking with you today and he wouldn't even blink. The only distraction that might pull his eyes away would be Ladybug appearing, and somehow I think that won't happen unless you want it to."

"Yeah, I think Ladybug gets the day off unless an Akuma shows up," replied Marinette, happily. "After what he said to me last night, today's all about _me."_

She paused. "And I think I'm even believing it," she added.

* * *

Tom watched with a wide smile as his small talk with Adrien stopped abruptly, once Adrien heard light footsteps coming down the stairs from the main household; his eyes locked there with anticipation.

 _Young man, you are HOOKED_ , thought Tom, wryly. _About time, too._

"Good morning, Marinette!" Tom called as she emerged, her grin widening at the sight of who was with him.

"Good morning, Dad," said Marinette, coming over for a quick hug. "Hello, Adrien!"

"Hello there," Adrien replied. "You look very nice today, Marinette!"

"You can tell under all this?" she quipped, gesturing to her heavy white winter coat and matching hat.

"Well, I can certainly guess the rest," Adrien answered her. "I like that coat; very stylish! Looks like Italian lines. Can I ask where you got it from?"

"This? My grandmother got it for me, this past Christmas. I don't know where she got it from, exactly," Marinette said. "But I had the hat already, and they seemed like a very good match for this kind of weather."

"I'm glad that you two don't have far to walk," Tom noted. "I can hear that wind whipping out there and just the _sound_ is giving me chills. By the way, did I hear right that you might be joining us for supper tomorrow night, Adrien?"

"If you'll have me, I'd love to," he replied, a little bashfully.

"Then I have work to do in the kitchen," Tom grinned. "What's your favorite fruit flavor? Do you have a favorite dessert?"

"Um... I have a weakness for passionfruit, but that's not the easiest to find," Adrien mused. "Other than that, I'm easy to please; apple, cherry, raspberry, lemon, peach... I can't imagine that anything you could make wouldn't be delicious, Mr. Dupain."

"Don't go _too_ far, Dad. I don't think dinner for four calls for a full croquembouche," Marinette added, lightly.

"What's a croquembouche?" asked Adrien.

"A tower of pastries that's half a meter high, that's what it is," she grinned at him, then turned back towards her father. "At _least_ that. Something simple but delicious, okay?"

"Half a meter? Hmmph. My record was more than double that... but I'll behave, I promise," Tom laughed, watching the kids head towards the door together.

As they approached the door, Marinette asked Adrien, "Could you tie my scarf for me, please?"

"Certainly," beamed Adrien.

Tom watched as Adrien came in close and began looping it over and under, then under and over. _Crafty, Marinette!_ he thought. _That's one way to get him face-to-face. I bet he wishes he'd thought of leaving his own scarf undone!_

* * *

As the pair trudged out into the cold morning, Marinette admired Adrien's handiwork. "I'm impressed that you knew this particular scarf knot, Adrien! It's more of a girl thing."

"When your family business is fashion, you pick up things along the way that you never thought you'd need to know," he chuckled.

"I like yours, too," noted Marinette, seeing something pale blue and very familiar wrapped around Adrien's neck. "That scarf really suits you."

"Thank you!" Adrien replied, brightly. "It's my favorite, actually. My father had someone make it for me for my birthday last year."

"Make it?" she asked, innocently. "It's not store-bought?"

 _"Definitely_ not. There were no tags on it, and the knitting is hand-done, by someone who knows exactly what they're doing," explained Adrien. "I really wish that I knew who or where it came from, so that I could commission a few more in other colors! Though, the more I think about it, this baby blue goes with so many outfits that one will certainly do for now. It's nice and warm, but not so much that I'm roasting while I have it on inside..."

He looked over at Marinette and got a sudden look of concern on his face. "Oh, Marinette, let's get you out of this cold! This freezing wind has your face bright red," he said to her, wrapping his arm around her and hustling the two of them towards the school.

* * *

 _I should tell him,_ thought Marinette in the lobby, watching Adrien looking at her curiously. _I should tell him. I _need_ to tell him._ _That was the scarf I made him for his birthday last year, and I forgot to sign the gift, and then somehow the signed Post-It I attached to it afterwards disappeared!_

 _But..._

 _He was so happy when he thought it was a gift from his father,_ she told herself. _That's why I didn't tell him then; it was so nice to see him happy about _anything_ involving his father. This whole thing between us recently started because Adrien's father was mistreating him, and they're just now starting to get back on the same page! If I tell him now, that could start bad feelings between them again, and..._

 _No. I just can't, even now! He's happy with who he thinks that it was from, and that's what matters. I can tell him sometime that maybe I can make one _like_ it..._

"Are you okay, Marinette?" asked Adrien, jarring her out of her pondering. "You got very quiet all of a sudden."

"Oh! Oh, yes, I'm fine, Adrien. Thank you for asking," she smiled. "I was just... um... lost in thought for a second there. Brrrrrr! Let's get away from the front door!"

* * *

Once further inside, they paused for a few moments before separating to go to their respective lockers.

"So, um, about what we talked about last night..." Adrien began, as they unzipped their coats and began de-layering.

"...Yeah?" asked Marinette, her face snapping to attention towards his.

"Did I visit your dreams last night?" he asked her, trying to keep an innocent expression on his face.

 _Hmmm,_ thought Marinette. _I could answer honestly, or I could deny it, or I could just die right here._

"Maaaaaaybe," she replied, with a big enough grin to signal her real answer.

"Good. That way, we match," he grinned, with his own face reddening.

"Really?" Marinette asked, wide-eyed, then returned his grin with increasing confidence after thinking about it for a second. "And just what was I doing in them, Adrien?"

"I asked you first," Adrien answered.

"No, you didn't! You asked me if you were in my dreams, and I answered that. _I_ was the first one to ask for more details," she giggled.

"Hmmm. This could be a problem. A gentleman's not supposed to kiss and tell..." pondered Adrien, overdramatically.

"He is when the _lady_ wants to know what she did!" protested Marinette. "Or should I assume the worst of a teenage boy's imagination?"

"Nothing that you couldn't tell your parents about," Adrien insisted, then added, "...Someday," with a sly smile.

 _"Well!"_ exclaimed Marinette with mock outrage. "Maybe I shouldn't leave _you_ alone at night!"

"Maybe you shouldn't," said Adrien. "But can I ask you something before you pronounce final judgment?"

"And that is?" she said.

"What was I doing in _your_ dreams?"

Marinette stared at Adrien nervously, Adrien stared back... and then they both broke up laughing.

* * *

"We're hopeless, aren't we?" asked Marinette, still laughing.

"Uh-huh," Adrien agreed, as the two of them calmed back down.

When she met his gaze again, her facial expression was soft and her eyes were shining. "We're really going to try this, aren't we?" she asked him, in a quiet voice.

In response, his right hand slipped into her left, holding it gently. Hers clasped his, without her even thinking about it. "I really think that we need to," he replied, "and I know that I want to. The whole ride, remember?"

"The whole ride," Marinette agreed, softly. "Good."

People were walking around them steadily by this point, including several classmates, which they completely failed to notice. They didn't register a wide-eyed Alya being tugged along by Nino, Kim giving an approving nod and a low "...All RIGHT!" as he walked by, and Chloé clearly mouthing _What the HECK is going on here?_ despite Sabrina's best efforts to distract her.

The first bell let them know that time was running short to get to class, shaking them back a bit closer to reality. "You know, Ladybug did tell me one thing that I hadn't shared with you yet..." Adrien added, a little nervously.

"Oh?" Marinette asked, genuinely curious.

"She said that you _might_ be an amazing kisser, and that it was up to me if I wanted to try and find that out," Adrien purred. "Now, if I may submit certain dreams as evidence..."

"Do I even want to know about those dreams?" asked Marinette, her free hand on her hip.

"You did just a minute ago, if I recall correctly..."

"All right, you got me there," Marinette laughed. "But how would _Ladybug_ know if I'm a good kisser? I'm pretty sure that I'd remember it if I'd ever kissed _her_. That hasn't happened."

"That... is a good question. She said it more like 'maybe she is,' not 'I know she is,'" wondered Adrien, wide-eyed at the concept. "Is there something she knows that I don't know yet?"

"Let me put it this way, Adrien," said Marinette, leaning in noticeably closer, her voice becoming a little bit huskier. "You got a free sample that day at the picnic. Did you like that one?"

"D-definitely!" stammered Adrien, watching Marinette's mischievous expression carefully. "But I was too surprised when it happened to fully process it."

"Well, then, if you play your cards right... _I_ know something that you don't yet," she continued, reaching out with her free hand and placing it over his shoulder.

"What's that?" Adrien asked, not much above a whisper.

"When you'll find that out."

Marinette turned, with a giggle, and headed for her locker. "We've only got a minute or two before we'll be late, so we'd better hurry!" she called to Adrien.

Adrien was still nowhere near capable of movement. _She said 'when'... not 'if!',_ he realized. "When will that be?" he called back.

"Oh, you'll know," she winked, and was gone.

* * *

Ms. Bustier greeted the class as usual, setting up her lesson plan and belongings while noting the undercurrent running through the students. _Rumblings in the peanut gallery,_ she thought, _and everyone seems to be looking towards Marinette and Adrien? How very _unusual_ lately._ She smiled to herself, amused, as she allowed the class a moment to settle.

Adrien and Nino engaged in light conversation, while Marinette found herself with Alya focused completely on her. "What?" Marinette whispered, lightly.

"What do you mean, _what?_ I know what I saw this morning! You and _Adrien-"_

"Keep your voice down, he's right there!" chided Marinette, trying not to draw Ms. Bustier's attention.

"You and Adrien," Alya whispered more quietly, "standing in the hallway, holding hands, making eyes at each other, I thought you were going to _kiss_ him right then and there! Were you? _Did_ you?"

"Sure, I did. You were there, that day at the picnic!" Marinette reminded her.

"You're killing me here," Alya whimpered. "This morning!"

"Don't be silly, Alya. The picnic wasn't this morning," giggled Marinette.

She relented once she saw that Alya was trying to glare a hole through her forehead. "Alya, I promise you, there haven't been any big changes since I talked with you yesterday! Adrien and I like each other. We're going to figure out just how much, and take our time doing it," she whispered. "Can we talk about it over lunch?"

"Do you think that you could avoid that?" grinned Alya.

"I'm not trying to, Alya," Marinette assured her. "But class is about to start..."

 _More than that has started, Marinette,_ Alya thought to herself. She looked down at Nino and Adrien, talking amongst themselves with occasional glances up at her and Marinette. A quick look around showed about three-quarters of the class watching Adrien and Marinette without trying to be too obvious about it. _All this about 'we're playing wait-and-see' and 'we're still figuring things out...'_

 _I think everybody knows that it's happening but them!_

* * *

Lunchtime arrived, and as Marinette expected, she faced a set of eager faces as soon as she sat down with her tray.

"We are soooooooo ready for your good news!" began Juleka, with one hand holding Rose down onto her chair. "What happened? We saw you two this morning..."

"Looking _awfully_ cozy together," grinned Alix. "After he walked you to school _again_ today. It's looking like _somebody_ had a big weekend... or cracked the code as to how to get romantic in detention."

"Oh, that's right!" Marinette realized. "None of you were around when we got out of detention on Friday."

"Correct," smiled Mylène. "And none of us got the kind of breathless update we would've expected if Adrien had left _you_ breathless... but that was _not_ just a friendly hallway meeting this morning, either! So..."

"And since even her loyal partner-in-crime didn't get any kind of update until _yesterday_..." Alya added, with mock indignation. "Spill, already!"

"I didn't shout it from the rooftops because we're still figuring a lot of it out," Marinette replied. "But..."

She left a pause in the air until she suspected pouncing was imminent, then giggled, "... _someone_ asked me out on a date!"

A round of cheers filled the air around the table, to which Marinette motioned caution. "Time out! We're not a couple yet, officially. We're going on some dates to see how well it works... if it's meant to be."

 _"If,_ she says," said Alix, rolling her eyes. "I've seen how he's been looking at you. Did you kiss him yet?"

"Only back at the picnic," admitted Marinette. "We talked on the phone this weekend, but we didn't get together again until this morning."

"All right, back up! I don't want to miss any of this!" squealed Rose. "Start with what happened in detention!"

"Okay. Well, first, I had my notepads out and ready..."

* * *

The girls absorbed Marinette's story excitedly, though a little disappointed that the two of them were taking things at a measured pace.

"So... yes, there's another girl. But do _not_ bug Adrien about her, all right? She's not someone in our class, or even our school, so there will be no covert operations exposing her identity. _Right?_ " declared Marinette.

"I hear you, I hear you," muttered Alya, good-naturedly.

"Seriously. Whoever you're thinking of, it's not her. It's not Kagami, the fencer girl, either," she added, stopping Juleka in mid-thought before she could vocalize it. "And I'm not going to obsess over who she is..."

"Do _you_ know who she is?" asked Rose.

"I do. He's asked me not to say, and I'm respecting that," Marinette replied. _Which is the best way I have of defusing _that_ question,_ she thought. "And I'm not going to obsess over her, because I don't want to become one of _those_ girls who gets jealous of every other girl he knows. He's going to have close friends who are girls if we _do_ get serious. I'll still be one of those if he gets serious with her, or with someone completely different."

"I think that's a smart approach," Mylène said. "It's not all-or-nothing. You've wanted to be closer to him emotionally, and now you are and you don't want to risk that."

"Exactly," smiled Marinette. "And I think that I can win his heart without making it into some kind of full-blown competition."

"I still say," retorted Alix, her eyes gleaming with mischief, "that you could kiss Adrien _one time_ \- one kiss full on the lips, throwing everything you feel into it - and he would melt like an ice cream cone."

Marinette's response was cut short by a voice behind her. "While the jury's still out on that," he said, "it might be an interesting experiment."

* * *

To her credit, the _"Eeep!"_ that Marinette emitted was both brief and as much of a laugh as a shriek.

Without turning around, Marinette quipped, "Just for the record, I've never kissed Alix, so she is _completely_ guessing what that would be like."

That got a hearty laugh from the table as she turned to face Adrien. "Hello, stranger," she beamed in his direction. "What can I do for you?"

Adrien held back the impulse to say "Test out that kissing theory." Instead, he gestured to the empty table space next to Marinette. "Is this seat taken?" he asked, pleasantly.

Marinette blinked, then nudged the chair out with her foot. "It is now," she smiled. "This is a pleasant surprise. The guys didn't kick you out, did they? Or were your ears burning just now?"

"No, and maybe?" Adrien replied. "People seem awfully curious about you and I lately, for some odd reason."

"Funny, isn't it?" agreed Marinette. "I was just telling them all about how detention on Friday went, and how I'll have a dinner guest tomorrow night, and you'll have one on Thursday. If that invitation is still open, of course..."

"Of course it is!" said Adrien, very quickly, with a genuine smile on his face. "I know we were going to talk about that this morning, but we got sidetracked onto... um..."

"...Other topics?" answered Marinette, and then both started laughing.

Seeing the raised eyebrows around the table, Marinette continued, _"And_ I was just telling them that you and I aren't exclusive yet, and that we're still figuring things out. So no one is to pressure you about anything, _or follow you around with a cameraphone trying to figure out who any other girl in your life may or may not be_ , or anything like that."

"Jeez! I heard you the first time!" Alya exclaimed, throwing her hands up. "It's like I have a reputation, or something."

"I really hope that it does work out," Rose blurted out, her enthusiasm taking over. "You two would be _so_ good together, and Marinette has been... uh..."

"Marinette has been a lot of things... I understand that so much better now. And she's made a huge difference in my life lately! Whatever we decide together, I'm really happy how much closer we've become."

Adrien leaned over and rested his head against Marinette's shoulder, just for a moment. Marinette closed her eyes, drinking it in with a huge smile, as their audience tried not to gape in astonishment and delight.

"So. Who _else_ had an interesting weekend?" breathed Marinette, reopening her eyes.

"Oh, hey! There you are," said another voice. Nino appeared on the other side of the table, taking the empty seat across from Adrien and next to Alya. "Are we sitting over here?" he asked.

"It's a free country," smiled Alya. "Not hanging out with the boys today?"

"Ehh, Kim's trying to break his record for how many baby carrots he can keep in his mouth at once. I know better than to watch what happens next," Nino explained. "Plus, the scenery is so much better over here."

"Good answer," Alya smirked.

"You two aren't the only ones playing Musical Chairs today, by the way," noted Mylène. "Don't look behind you, Adrien, but Chloé's changed seats at least four times trying to get a better look at what's going on over here."

"Hmmph!" chuckled Adrien, without turning. "She'll get over it."

The lunch period continued with lots of chatter, more than a little shared laughter, and one young woman in particular feeling gloriously happy.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Marinette strolled through the front door of the bakery with a broad smile. Her mother was watching over the store, waving to her as she entered.

"Hi there! Everything still good with your honey?" she called over to Marinette.

"Absolutely!" Marinette grinned back. "I just walked him to his car again; he said that he had some things he had to get done this afternoon, and that we'd talk later. And did I mention just how _perfectly_ his hand fits in mine?"

"Somehow I hadn't expected any problems there," Sabine laughed. "Before I run to the store later, any last-minute requests for what I should make tomorrow night?"

"He keeps saying 'anything is fine, whatever you would normally eat if I wasn't there,'" Marinette replied. "He doesn't want us to make a fuss over him. Though he should know me better than to think that I ever won't."

"You were devoted to him _before_ he noticed you. I can only imagine what you'll be like now that he has," grinned Sabine. "That sounds good to me, though; I'll run over there in a little while and see what looks good to make. I have a couple of ideas already. Go see what your father's putting together for dessert!"

"Uh-oh," Marinette giggled. "It'll fit through the door, right?"

"I told him not to let his enthusiasm run away with him _too_ much. I think you'll like it, and so will Adrien."

Marinette stepped into the kitchen at the rear of the bakery, walking over and kissing her father lightly on the cheek. "Hi, Daddy," she grinned. "I hear that you've got something that I should see?"

"Voila," Tom gestured, displaying his handiwork through the glass door of a refrigerated case.

"Ooooh! Is that what I think it is?" cooed Marinette.

"Uh-huh. Right flavor, too. I'm still fiddling with the top layer."

"That looks _perfect,_ " she beamed. "Thank you so much!"

"My pleasure. I only get to cater my daughter's first supper date once," he replied.

* * *

After piano practice and supper, Plagg watched Adrien carefully. Something seemed... just a little off.

"Hey," he called, flying over to where Adrien was stretched out on his bed. "For someone who has an adorable new almost-girlfriend who's clearly ga-ga over him, you've looked happier."

"Oh, no complaints there," replied Adrien, staring up at his ceiling. "I just have a bunch of things on my mind right now. Doing some thinking."

"Let me guess," smirked Plagg. "A red-and-black thing?"

"She's part of it," allowed Adrien. "I'm kind of focused on Marinette right now, but I'm sure not going to just forget the other night! But Ladybug's kind of on my mental back burner for the moment."

"So what's bugging you more, then? Anything that I can help with?"

Adrien gave Plagg a _you-asked-for-it_ smile. "The other thing wears black, with a tail and a little golden bell."

"Come again?" Plagg asked, looking confused.

"If I'm going to get serious with Marinette... there's a Chat Noir-shaped elephant in the room. I need to think about this before I take the plunge," Adrien continued. "Whether I should tell her that I'm Chat. Whether I _can_ tell her. _How_ to tell her. How to keep her safe if I do. How to keep her guessing if I don't. And how to not screw up the friendship I have with Marinette either way!"

Plagg stared back, blankly, his head buzzing. "Oh. _Those_ things."

"Any bright ideas, buddy-of-mine?" asked Adrien, evenly.

 _Oh, I've got a few,_ thought Plagg, _but they're not the kinds of ideas in my head that'll make this easier. Like how the girl you're talking about has her own secret identity, and she's romancing you in THAT, too! And how she's secretly the girl you've been in love with for months, but you don't know that. And how she doesn't know you're the guy she's been turning down all those months. And how the two of you are going to need new pants once the secrets come out!_

 _And what is Master FU going to do when he finds out?_

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking. This might be above my pay grade," muttered Plagg. "You're right, it's complicated."

"I know that I'm _supposed_ to keep things secret, but is that more of an absolute rule or a really good idea most of the time?" Adrien asked. "Even Superman had his Lois Lane eventually. You've met Marinette enough times; do you think that she's trustworthy?"

"Trusting Marinette, I'm not worried about; she's a gem, but that's beside the point. We've had identity disclosures over the centuries... sometimes it worked out okay. Sometimes it _really_ didn't," worried Plagg.

"How about this, then?" Adrien ventured. "I'm not going to tell her yet... but I think that someone else she trusts ought to talk with her about the concept, at least. You up for a little trip tonight?"

"Is there cheese in the fridge when we get back?"

"Of course there is," Adrien assured him. "Claws out!"

* * *

In the early evening, Marinette sat at her desk in her room, idly browsing on the Internet...

*TH-BMMP!*

 _Well, THERE'S a sound I hadn't heard in a while!_ she thought, looking up hopefully. "Chat, is that you?" she called quietly, as she ascended the ladder to her bed and opened the hatch to her balcony.

"I hope so, I'm wearing his underwear," a familiar voice quipped.

"Hey! Long time no see!" beamed Marinette. "Get in here before you freeze, you!"

The blonde hero descended down into Marinette's room, and was a little surprised to be wrapped up immediately in a friendly hug... but not complaining.

"Hey, yourself! I'm sorry that I haven't been around lately... I've been dealing with some things on the home front, we haven't had a lot of Akumas lately, and it's kind of cold out to go patrolling the city... most of the crooks and villains know enough to stay inside when it's like this," Chat apologized.

"Unlike you, obviously," Marinette giggled. "You've been doing okay?"

"Pretty good. Very good in some ways, actually," he smiled. "And look at you... you look fantastic! You're positively glowing, Marinette, and I have a hunch as to why."

"Oh?" she asked, a little surprised. "Who have you been talking to, Ladybug?"

"No, but you're not too far off. The last time I talked with Ladybug, she asked me to keep an eye on a guy we both know, Adrien Agreste. So I checked on him a couple of times, and from what _he's_ told me..."

Chat grinned from ear to ear as Marinette turned scarlet. "And from what your blush is telling me, he's telling the truth," he chuckled. "I think I finally know who your Mystery Crush has been all this time!"

"Yeah... it's true," Marinette admitted, still glowing. "Adrien's always been the one. And things have been going _really_ well lately with him!"

"It sure sounded like it. And if it does go places, he's one lucky guy."

Marinette melted in mid-thought. "No, _I'm_ the lucky one... But that is _so sweet_ of you to say," she managed. After a moment of thought, she frowned slightly. "Did Adrien... tell you who _else_ he's been hanging out with lately?"

Chat's smile was reassuring. "He did. And I'm fine with that."

"You're _sure?"_ asked Marinette, with visible concern. "I know how deep your feelings run that way."

"If Adrien ends up dating Ladybug... I'm okay with that, I really am. I know that Ladybug cares for me, but she doesn't want to date me, and I want her to be happy," said Chat, sitting down cross-legged on the floor across from Marinette's chair.

"What if... Chat, I don't mean to pry, and you don't have to answer this. But if I end up dating Adrien, that means that Ladybug won't be. What would you do then?" wondered Marinette. _This could get complicated in a hurry, now that I'm thinking about it!_

Again, Chat surprised her with a calm and easygoing response. "Still be her partner, and leave it at that?" he replied. "I can keep pushing and pushing, but I've gotten the idea that she _really_ doesn't care for that. So I'll be me, and she'll be her, and if she ever does decide that I'm date material, I'll let her make that move."

 _And since Adrien would be off the market, that means that Chat would be, too... but you wouldn't know that!_

He grinned, shyly. "Besides... I might be seeing someone else very soon."

* * *

Marinette's jaw dropped. _"Really?"_ she bubbled. "That's wonderful, Chat! I'm so happy for you. With your mask on or off?"

"Off, actually," Chat replied. _I need to be careful with this, obviously... but I definitely could use her opinions on this._

"Is she anyone that I would know? Or can you not tell me that?" asked Marinette, excitedly. "Oh, I just want to pry every detail out of you, but I know that I can't!"

"You might know her... but I can't say for sure," he said. "Can I ask you something that kind of ties into that?"

"Sure. I'm always here for you," Marinette said, listening carefully.

He paused, considering his phrasing before continuing. "This girl is... not one of the other heroes. She's not Ladybug, obviously. I mean, I don't know who Ladybug is unmasked, but... nah, I think that's a pretty safe assumption," Chat noted. "I'm also very sure that she's not Rena Rouge, and as for Queen Bee..."

"Yurgh!" Marinette replied, sticking her tongue out with a disgusted expression. "I know you better than that."

"Right. She's a normal person, outside of all this hero craziness I'm involved in. So here's my question... should I tell this new girl that I'm secretly Chat Noir?"

He noted her wide-eyed expression. "Let me explain where I'm coming from. I don't want to, like, just blurt it out... there aren't many secrets bigger than this one. But if I get serious with her, I'll have to explain away a lot of disappearances, I'll want to keep her safe from harm, I'll need to balance both of my relationships with her..."

"You know her as yourself _and_ as Chat Noir?" asked Marinette.

"I do," he replied.

"That could be quite the juggling act," mused Marinette. _A very familiar juggling act._

"It wouldn't be easy... but it might be necessary. _Or_ it might be easier to have one confidant I can trust and who can help me cover for things," argued Chat. "I'm still wrapping my head around this. So, Marinette... If you were dating someone who had this kind of secret, would you want him to tell _you?"_

* * *

"Oh, wow," Marinette answered him, looking a little overwhelmed. "You don't start with the easy questions, do you?"

"I know, it's a complicated situation. But you might be the most honest and clear-thinking person I know, Marinette. What's your gut reaction?"

 _My gut reaction is that I REALLY NEED TO THINK THIS THROUGH,_ she thought, _because I'm in the_ _EXACT SAME SITUATION!_

"Well... okay, let me talk this out with you and see if we can figure it out," managed Marinette. "I know that you've told me that Ladybug _really_ doesn't want to know your secret or have you know hers. But this isn't Ladybug you're talking about, it's some other girl."

"Right. So there are still reasons to keep my secret... but it's not as dangerous as if _Ladybug_ and I knew each other's identities," Chat agreed.

"This new girl, she's someone that you feel like you can trust completely? It's not just infatuation talking?" Marinette wondered, pointedly.

"I can promise you that," said Chat, in a voice with no uncertainty behind it. "This is someone that I've known for some time now, and these feelings kind of snuck up on me when I wasn't expecting them. But the girl in question, if we do go through with this... I'd trust her with my life if I had to."

Marinette stared at him, reading his body language and expression... _He's dead serious,_ she thought. _This must be some special girl, especially if she nudged _Ladybug_ out of his romantic cross-hairs!_

"Hmmm. The person, or people, or whoever gave you that Miraculous must have an opinion on this. What do they think?" asked Marinette.

"My... mentor, I guess you could say? I haven't asked yet," admitted Chat. "I'm debating whether or not I should. Maybe I'm afraid of what I'd hear! I have another... friend who's related to my Miraculous, and he's not sure yet either. He can see pluses and minuses on both sides."

"This is a tough one," she pondered. "It's smart that you're taking it this seriously. I'd like to think that in a strong relationship, both sides can share _anything_... but that's an _awfully_ big responsibility, too. I know that you don't just share it with anyone, or you'd have blurted it out to me a long time ago. _Or_ you'd have left a trail of clues that a blind girl could follow."

"Hey!" he protested, as Marinette broke into giggles.

Chat got a funny look on his face. "I will say this, Marinette... if I was going to trust _anyone_ else with my secret, you're the first one I'd want to tell. I've come close to doing it a few times."

"Wait, _what?"_ Marinette said, reacting with surprise.

"You're brave. You're honest. You're my best friend besides Ladybug with my mask on. I feel like I could trust you with anything, Marinette," Chat smiled, with warm eyes. "But, like you said, it would be a huge responsibility and I wouldn't just drop that on you."

"Let's... just keep you masked for now around me, okay?" Marinette stammered. _"_ I am... really touched by what you just said! I'm being completely honest about that. But let me give some thought as to whether I'm ready for that! As far as your new girlfriend goes, though..."

Chat looked thoughtful. "The more I think about it, I'll hold back for now. It's a pretty heavy secret. Maybe I will talk with my mentor first, or with Ladybug."

 _That gives me my answer for now,_ he thought. _If she wants to know, she'll ask. Though if I do get involved with Marinette, that's going to make hanging out with her as Chat a lot more interesting!_ he chuckled to himself.

 _Or I could see if she'd want to date me as Chat, too!_

 _...Nah. How crazy could THAT get really fast?_

* * *

The conversation went on for another half-hour before Chat said that he needed to head home.

"All right, Chat. But don't stay away so long this time!" Marinette insisted, hugging him again. "I worry about you out there, you know, and not just because of supervillains! There's a sweet boy under that mask, and I'm so glad to know him. And I know that you and your new girl will be exactly what each other needs."

"You don't know how lucky I feel to know you, Marinette," Chat replied, more sincerely than she could imagine. "That means so much to me."

"You ought to set up an anonymous email, or a burner phone, or something like that so that I can reach you when you're not around," suggested Marinette. "That way, if you're tied up with things or just want to talk, you can use that."

"That's actually a really good idea," mused Chat. "I've heard that Ladybug has something like that. I'll let you know if I do, okay?"

"I'll be watching," she grinned.

Once Chat climbed back up and shut the balcony hatch, Marinette slumped down on her bed, new worries buzzing in her brain. _Wow,_ she thought. _I am really happy for Chat; he's such a sweetheart, and he deserves some girl with whom he can share all of himself and be truly happy._

 _Some days, a little part of me wishes that girl could be me. But it can't, for so many reasons._

 _Now to do some thinking about how to handle my other identity with Adrien..._

* * *

Tikki popped out of hiding, ready if Marinette needed advice on that particular topic. For the moment, Marinette kept her thoughts private. _It's not like we hadn't just talked about identity things,_ Tikki thought. _I'll be here if she needs me._

 _If things work out tonight... _could_ I tell Adrien?_ wondered Marinette. _Chat made some good points about the pros and the cons, and it's not like I haven't weighed some of those myself._

 _Of course, there's the added complication that I've_ __already_ been romancing him both ways,_ she smiled. _If I do tell him, would he react with relief that the two girls he's into are actually one? Or would he be horrified that I didn't tell him before now? Or some of each?_

She peeked over at Tikki, who gave her a noncommittal smile from across the room. _Tikki would _freak__ _if I told him, I'll bet,_ she reasoned. _I don't want to chance anything that might stop me from being Ladybug._

 _But... would it?_ pondered Marinette. _Tikki's said repeatedly that I shouldn't share my identity, but if someone found it out by accident, or if someone I trusted completely shared that secret... that wouldn't be the end of the world, would it? Wouldn't it be nice to have a confidant, someone else that I can lean on as Ladybug?_

 _It _would_ be one more opportunity for it to leak out to the world at large, and put me, my friends, or my family in danger. I don't like that thought at all,_ she frowned. _My instinct all along has been to keep it secret, and that's worked for me. I could continue being Adrien's good friend as Ladybug and leave it at that._

 _I'll give it some more thought_ , she concluded. _Wishful thinking aside, I think I still have some time to figure this out before decisions get made. Neither of us seems to be in a hurry to dive into the deep end._

* * *

Monday night rolled into Tuesday morning, with Marinette's new normal routine - _And could I have ever imagined walking with Adrien and holding his hand every morning would become _routine_?_ , she giggled to herself - continuing as usual.

On the way out of Ms. Bustier's class, when their schedules diverged, Marinette stopped Adrien for a moment. "Do you need to stop at home before you come over tonight?" she asked.

"I can walk over with you and spend the afternoon, if that's all right," Adrien said. "I texted the Gorilla to let him know that I had that in mind, and he can pick me up afterwards. Does that work for you?"

"Absolutely," beamed Marinette. "I was hoping you'd say that! I can give you the grand tour of the bakery, then just hang out until supper's ready. I could throw in a movie, or there's a new online co-op mode for Mecha Strike V Turbo Edition; we could team up and destroy all comers..."

"Or _you_ could destroy all comers while I hang on for dear life," laughed Adrien. "If you're anywhere near as good at Mecha Strike V as you are at III, they'd need to play _ten-on-two_ instead of two-on-two just to make it fair."

"Oh, I'm still learning some different characters in this new version. You might even stand a chance against me," smiled Marinette, feigning innocence. "Maybe a few one-on-one games with some stakes attached?"

"The phrase 'sucker bet' comes to mind," Adrien replied, making Marinette giggle in response. He leaned forward and hugged her before turning to head to his next class...

"Am I _hallucinating?_ _"_ a shrill voice exclaimed.

The pair turned to see Chloé staring at them, hand on her hip and a disgusted expression on her face. "I mean, _seriously,_ Adriekins, it's sweet of you to be charitable to our unfortunates sometimes... but what in the world do you call _that?"_ she sneered.

Marinette glared at her, genuinely offended. She was about to snap back at Chloé when Adrien beat her to it.

"It's called a 'hug,' Chloé. You give them to people whom you genuinely care for. So I'm not too surprised that you haven't heard of it."

"I know _what_ a hug is, Adrien!" she snapped, watching Marinette suppress a loud laugh. "I'm trying to figure out the _why_."

Adrien didn't skip a beat. "Mostly because I was working up the nerve to do this," he explained.

He leaned forward... and Marinette felt a soft peck on her left cheek. Her eyes went huge, and it took every bit of will she could summon to keep from dropping the notebook in her hands.

"I'll see you tonight, okay, Marinette?" Adrien told Marinette, loud enough for Chloé to hear... and shot Marinette a knowing wink.

"You sure will," she managed, giving Adrien a little hand-squeeze as he turned and headed down the hallway to his next class.

Marinette blinked twice, then looked over at Chloé, who was frozen in place with her jaw hanging down. A sudden, firm hand against Marinette's lower back steadied her own shaky legs.

"We've got History next, right?" said Alya's voice, from just behind her.

"Y-yeah, we do. Let's go," smiled Marinette, and the pair headed down an adjacent hallway.

* * *

About twenty steps later, out of Chloé's earshot, Alya giggled, "You won _that_ round."

"You think?" Marinette managed. " _That_ _just happened_ , right?"

"Witnesses and everything," agreed Alya. "I think Chloé will be frozen in place like that until someone has her bronzed."

* * *

As Marinette settled into her seat in her History class, her phone buzzed with an incoming text. Quickly, she snuck a peek at it...

 **[Adrien] Just checking. Is it all right that I just did that? I figured that you'd enjoy the look on her face, but...**

With a big grin, she replied:

 **[Marinette] Maybe? Come over here and do it again so I can be sure.**

Right before the teacher started his lesson and Marinette had to silence her phone and put it away, she saw Adrien's response:

 **[Adrien] Be careful what you wish for... ;)**

* * *

Marinette left her last class with a tingle running all through her. _This is it!_ she thought, heading for the front door at a rapid pace, just short of actual running.

"Not excited or anything, are you?" giggled Tikki, from within Marinette's purse.

"Just a bit!" she whispered back, feeling giddy.

Marinette took a seat off to the side of the steps and waited as patiently as she could manage. She waved to her girlfriends as they passed by; Rose mouthed "Good luck!" at her as she passed by, and Mylène gave her a thumbs-up and said "You've _got_ this!"

A third voice chimed in...

"I have _no idea_ what you told Adrien earlier to make him act like that," snarled Chloé, with Sabrina standing behind her looking as if she'd rather be anywhere else just then. "He has been acting really strangely this last week. I hope you don't think that he'll be into you once he gets back to normal!"

Marinette sighed, "Chloé... we're really not going to do this right now, are we? Preferably, not at all?"

"Oh, we don't have to have a fight or anything, because we both know the truth," Chloé smirked. "Whatever you've got him thinking right now, he's meant for bigger things than someone like _you_ could ever give him. His father knows it, I know it, and he knows it."

Chloé stared down at Marinette, expecting her to either cry or snap back angrily. Instead... she looked on, puzzled, as Marinette began laughing steadily. "Oh, you think I'm _wrong?_ " Chloé demanded.

"Chloé, there are a _million_ things that you don't know," Marinette smiled back. "But there's one thing in particular that you don't know, and that means that you just _can't_ spoil my mood."

"And that is?" challenged Chloé.

"What _he's_ wanting _."_

Marinette turned to her right, her smile unchanged, and asked, "What _do_ you think, Adrien?"

Chloé turned in his direction, a bit startled by his presence, and by his glaring at her unhappily. "Okay... so he heard me say that," she mumbled to herself, then regained her confidence. "So what if you heard that? You know that everything I said is true," she declared.

"What I know, Chloé..." Very deliberately, he walked over to Marinette as he spoke, and extended his hand to her to help her up. "...is that I have a date tonight. Are you ready, Marinette?"

"Definitely," she beamed, standing up and not letting go of his hand.

"A date?" barked Chloé. "Wait, with _who?"_

Marinette and Adrien left her standing there, hearing her shouting various phrases involving the word 'ridiculous' to no one in particular, as they walked arm-in-arm over to the Dupain-Cheng Boulangerie.

* * *

Next time:

* "Are those pictures... still hanging up?"

* It's in a father's DNA.

* Marinette and her parents learn much more about Adrien over dinner... and about Emilie.

* "I _so_ wish that I knew what to do next."

* Tikki asks a favor of Plagg, with her mouth full.

* One sentence, spoken aloud, can change so many things...


	13. A Moment of Clarity

Someone to Watch Over Me, Chapter 13: A Moment of Clarity

* * *

As Marinette led Adrien through the front door of the family bakery, she called out, "Mom? Dad? Don't be alarmed, but someone followed me home from school. Can I keep him?"

Sabine scurried down the flight of stairs and waved to them. "So he did! Hello, Adrien! We'll be right there. I'm just finishing something up in the kitchen."

"Need any help?" asked Marinette.

"No, I'm good. You can check on your father, though," said Sabine before disappearing upstairs again.

"Perfect! I'll give you the grand tour," Marinette told Adrien.

As she started to move, Adrien stopped her for a second. "You know that Chloé had no idea what she was talking about back there, right?" he asked, with a serious expression.

"Pretty much since her birth," she agreed. "Most of the time, I can tune her out. I've had a lot of practice over the years, almost as much as you! And when she does find a nerve of mine that she can pinch, you have your own way of bringing me back to reality."

"Good. Because I have no intentions of even _thinking_ about her for the rest of the night," Adrien grinned.

"On that note... c'mon, I'll show you the back of the bakery," Marinette offered. "Be careful, or my dad might put you to work frosting cupcakes. ...What?" she asked, seeing Adrien raise an eyebrow.

"Did you _really_ just say 'Can I keep him?'" replied Adrien.

"Well, can I?"

She watched him try to work out the right answer, then broke into giggles and took his hand. "Let's go, before I ask that for real," she laughed.

* * *

"And this, of course, is my room," Marinette said as they reached the top of the stairs, a short time later. "The last and most exciting stop on the tour. Though you've been here once before, of course."

 _And a few dozen other times, including last night,_ Adrien grinned to himself. Marinette gave him an odd look, sensing something was funny that wasn't being shared, but let it slide.

"Uh-huh!" he agreed. "I was up here when we were practicing for that Ultimate Mecha Strike III tournament for school. Your parents were really nice to me that day."

He paused before adding, "And I, uh, kind of saw your room on 'Fill My Shoes' once..."

Marinette cringed, remembering how Jagged Stone had managed to broadcast her photographic Adrien shrine to a Parisian television audience... then smiled a weary smile. _What the heck, that can't hurt me that much _now_, can it?_ she thought. _And it's not like I can tell him it was all a mirage, and that show doesn't have the budget for CGI._

"You certainly did," replied Marinette, eyes averted, still a little embarrassed. "I don't know _how_ I had the nerve to come to school the next day."

"Why was that?" asked Adrien. "There wasn't anything in here to be ashamed of, was there? I didn't see anything _too_ unusual..."

"Oh, just a few dozen pictures on my walls of _someone_ I know..." blushed Marinette. "Nothing that would give away a gigantic crush to half of France, or anything like that."

Adrien remained looking at Marinette, trying to force himself not to scan the room, but the temptation was great. "Are those pictures... still hanging up?" he finally asked, a little teasingly.

"Go ahead, look!" Marinette directed him with a wave of her hand, turning even redder. "You know that you want to."

He gazed around the room, seeing not _quite_ as many pictures of himself on Marinette's walls as before, but that he was definitely still among the prominent themes of the decor.

"I don't know _how_ you didn't know right then and there that I was crazy about you," muttered Marinette, her smile starting to reemerge.

"Well, I... had a hunch the day that it happened. Remember, I was there at your locker the next day, asking you about it? But you told me then that 'of course you weren't into me that way, you were just _really_ into fashion...'" Adrien recalled.

"Yeah, but you didn't believe what I said _at all,_ did you?" shrugged Marinette, remembering the butterflies dancing in her stomach that afternoon. "I mean, really!"

"I kind of did?" replied Adrien, feeling a little bit awkward.

* * *

To her astonished expression, he added, "Well, you're such an open and honest person, and you looked so nervous and uncomfortable talking about it... I even acted like a _jerk_ and asked you if you were lying, and you stuck with it. I wasn't quite sure how to take what you told me."

Adrien put his hand behind his head and looked away slightly, as Marinette knew that he did when he was anxious. "You might've been thinking 'Oh, no, now he thinks I have a crush on him and he's asking me out, and I have to stop that from happening!' for all I knew. If you weren't comfortable talking about it, I didn't want to force the issue. Like I feel like I'm forcing it now."

He gave her a slightly sad smile. "I mean, since you _did_ like me that way... I kind of wish you could've told me then."

Marinette looked down at her feet, then back up at Adrien. "I just couldn't! I was so nervous because I had no idea how you would react," she admitted. "I'd been trying to figure out how to show you how I felt for _months_ , then that whole spectacle on TV just threw it right in everyone's face, including yours... I didn't know if you'd be embarrassed, or if you'd laugh at me, or just blow me off for making a fool of myself like that. I was so _scared_ about what you were going to say to me, if I'd ever get the nerve to look you in the eye again."

"But you were already such a good friend of mine! I'd never want to hurt you, Marinette," Adrien ventured. "I'm not _that_ scary, am I?"

"Let me put it this way," Marinette explained. "Imagine that Jagged Stone was filming a show at your house that day. He wandered into your bedroom with live cameras rolling while you weren't there, and showed off a few dozen pictures of Ladybug on your walls, on your computer monitor, on your bedsheets..."

"Hey! I do not have Ladybug _bedsheets,"_ Adrien protested. "Do they even make those?" _Note to self: Check on Amazon..._

"I don't know, she says, noting that he's not denying the rest of what she said... but the point is, imagine if all of that was on TV one morning, and then Ladybug appeared at your bedroom window the next day asking if you were crushing on her. How would _you_ have reacted?" asked Marinette, pointedly.

"Oh..." Adrien replied, then put himself in Marinette's shoes a bit more. " _Oh,_ " he gasped, with fuller recognition. "I was... wow, I am _so_ sorry about how I reacted that day! I didn't know what to think..."

 _"Please._ You're forgiven if I am. I'm the one whose feelings made all of that happen in the first place," said Marinette. "And one more question. If I _had_ bared my soul and told you about my crush that day... what would you have done?"

Adrien thought back, considering his state of mind at that point in time... "I don't know for sure, to be honest," he said, lightly. "We were friends then, but we weren't really close yet like we are now... and I was still completely hooked on Ladybug..." He looked back at Marinette, helplessly, not wanting to finish his thought.

"And _that's_ why I turned into a babbling idiot that day. And for most of the time that I've known you," sighed Marinette. "I knew who _I_ wanted. I didn't know if you were ready to hear that yet, and I was terrified of being rejected. I wanted to get to know you so much better, but I didn't understand how to make that happen."

Adrien leaned forward and took her hands in his. "I'm... not very good at this kind of thing myself. You know that I have, like, _no_ experience in any of this," he smiled, sweetly. "But maybe it's good that it worked out like it did. One thing that I _do_ know is that crushes aren't much fun when they're one-sided. They're _so_ much better when they're mutual."

"I'll have to try one of those someday," Marinette smiled, wobbling hard from the caring look she saw in Adrien's eyes.

"You might be already," replied Adrien.

* * *

As if guided by tender-moment-breaking radar, Sabine's voice echoed up the stairs and through Marinette's open door at that moment.

"Marinette! Adrien! Are you two... occupied at the moment?"

 _I'm pretty sure that we were about to be,_ grumbled Marinette to herself, but with an outward smile. She stepped over to the doorway and called back, "No, we're just talking about things..."

"Supper will be ready in about half an hour. Just letting you know," her mother responded.

"That sounds good. Thank you!" replied Marinette, then went back over to her seat near Adrien.

"Whatever it is that she's making smells really good," noted Adrien. "Do you know what we're having?"

"Turkey, I think," Marinette said. "I have a hunch as to how she prepared it, but I'll wait and see until we get down there. Since we've got a few minutes to burn, want to try that new Mecha Strike version that I'd told you about?" she asked, gesturing towards her television.

"Sure! That sounds like fun," agreed Adrien.

"All right, then," Marinette grinned, turning on her game console. "Let's do some damage..."

* * *

Heavy footsteps indicated to Marinette that her father was headed up to her room. She barely noticed, as the majority of her attention was focused on the pile of pixels on her television screen that she and Adrien were swiftly reducing to digital rubble.

"Hello, kids. Is everybody decent?" Tom called before poking his head through the doorway.

Marinette looked up, caught a bit off-guard. "Why... _wouldn't_ we be decent, Dad?" she asked.

"Oh, just checking. It's in a father's DNA," he chuckled. "If you two are at a point where you can pause that, your mother sent me to tell you that supper's headed to the table in about five minutes."

"We'll be right down!" smiled Marinette.

Adrien studied the opponent their team was facing at the moment. "Should we quit out?" he asked. "This one looks like a tough cookie, and might take a little while for us to..."

He watched as Marinette focused intently, her fingers a blur on her controller. The screen lit up with a flurry of flashes, explosions and crunching sounds...

"...Dismantle?" he finished, marveling at the *YOU WIN* now floating on their screen.

"My boy, can I give you some quick advice?" Tom piped up. "Never, ever, wager _anything_ in a video game against her."

"At least not on her home turf," laughed Adrien. "I have a few games where I'm pretty sure I could hold my own... but consider your advice well taken."

"Dad," grumbled Marinette, "Can I at least _use_ my tricks on him before you warn him about them?" Her smile returned quickly, though. "Shall we?" she asked Adrien.

"I can't wait," he replied. "Something down there really does smell amazing."

"I can promise you that as long as you keep visiting me, you won't go home hungry," Marinette giggled. "Though you might go up a couple of clothes sizes if you're not careful..."

* * *

The three of them came downstairs and settled in at the table, where Sabine had just finished bringing everything in.

"Mrs. Cheng... that looks _really_ good. I don't know that I've ever seen anything quite like it before. What's it called?" asked Adrien.

"Turkey Wellington. Turkey breast, with cranberry filling inside it and vegetables and pastry in a shell around it. Like Beef Wellington, but a little lighter," Sabine explained. "I've gotten a prepared version of this a few times from the store, so I thought I'd try a homemade version with a recipe I found online. I hope that you like it; if you don't, don't even think about feeling bad. Everything I make comes with a tastes-good-or-we-order-out guarantee, and there's a great pizza shop down the block."

"That is _not_ going to be a problem, trust me," Adrien grinned. "I might even need the recipe later."

"Oh? Do you cook, Adrien?" she asked him.

"Not me," he begged off. "I'm notorious at home for being all thumbs in the kitchen, borderline hopeless. But I know what I like, and I'm sure that my father would enjoy this, too."

"Is it just you and your father over there?" asked Tom. "I don't mean to pry, but I do," he smiled. "Marinette hadn't mentioned any brothers or sisters, and had said something about your mother not being around. I hope that I'm not overstepping..."

"No, no, that's fine! I'm happy to talk about it," Adrien assured him. "Yes, I'm an only child. Right now around the house, there's myself, my father, his primary assistant Nathalie, and my father's bodyguard and driver. We nicknamed him the Gorilla, and when you see him, you'll understand why! It's a strange little family of sorts, but we do the best we can."

"Oh, so he's a gorilla, because he's large?" Tom asked, mostly jokingly, with one raised eyebrow.

"You, sir, are a large man," backpedaled Adrien. "He is _huge._ And agile. And an intelligent and cultured man, don't get me wrong, but he looks like his hand is out of place without a banana in it. It's an affectionate nickname, even if it might not sound like it! Peek out your front window some time when he's dropping me off, and one look and you'll be saying, 'that's him.'"

"Are you close with the other two in your household? Nathalie and the Gorilla, if I may call him that?" asked Sabine.

"A little, but not especially. I mean, I see both of them every day, and we're certainly all friendly, but they're also definitely staff; they maintain a little professional distance, if you know what I mean," explained Adrien. "Nathalie's grown a lot closer to my father since my mother's... accident. Sometimes she's... well, we both know Nathalie's not my mother, but she tries to fill her shoes a little bit sometimes. Other times, she's all business. The Gorilla doesn't say much - he kind of keeps to himself - but we have a good understanding between us. He's a good guy."

Marinette busied herself slicing the turkey and getting the vegetables circulating. _I'm really curious about a lot of this, too, but this is their show,_ she thought. _I'll let Mom and Dad ask what they most want to know before I jump in._

"Is your mother... I don't know quite how to ask this," apologized Sabine. "What was the accident that happened to her? Is she still with us?"

Adrien paused before answering.

"This is going to sound absolutely crazy... but I don't know for sure."

* * *

The room fell silent. All three Dupain-Chengs held back the urge to ask _How can you not know for sure?_ and waited for Adrien to continue, if he chose to.

"I certainly know how to drop a bomb on a conversation, don't I?" smiled Adrien. "Let me explain..."

Marinette reached over and gave his hand a light squeeze. _Hang in there, honey,_ she thought.

"It was close to two years ago," he began. "My father decided, somewhat out of nowhere, that he and my mother were going on a trip together. Usually, he has every minute of every day rationed out carefully, so this was a bit of a shock! I asked 'Are we going on vacation?', and was told that it was just the two of them. He made it sound like a second honeymoon... but I was really curious about it, especially since they were going to Tibet."

"Tibet!" Tom marveled. "That's not exactly your typical romantic getaway."

"Exactly. It seemed more like... there was something there that they wanted. I have no idea what it could have been," shrugged Adrien. "Anyway, the two of them left. Two weeks later, my father came home... alone and heartbroken. He's never told me all the details, only that she was 'lost.' And he's never been the same person since."

"Oh, dear!" Sabine gasped. "I have no idea what to say to that. I'm so sorry for you!"

Tom nodded in agreement, solemnly.

"Thank you, both of you," said Adrien. "It's been a very strange time for all of us."

"Has your father done anything else in that part of the world since?" asked Marinette. "Sending out search parties, or going back there himself?"

"Not that I know of... but I don't know everything that my father's involved in," Adrien replied. "He had packages coming in and out of our house, workmen installing strange machinery that he didn't want to tell me about, all kinds of odd happenings... I didn't know which were for the business and which could be something else. But before long, most of that stopped, and he just became a shell of his former self. He barely even leaves the house any more; Nathalie is his eyes and ears in the outside world most of the time. Mother was the piece of himself that he just can't function without."

He sighed, then forced a smile, pretending that he meant it. "I try to keep my hopes up about Mother, like she'll just turn up some day, but the longer we go without her the more final it seems. I've come to terms with it much better than he has, I think."

* * *

"Anyway..." he continued, "like I said, Father has never been quite the same since. He's buried himself in his business dealings, so I don't see a lot of him, and when I do, things can be very strained between us. He gets hypercritical of me sometimes to where I feel more like an employee than a son... High expectations are flattering, but only when they're ones that a human being can reach. And since he's kept me very sheltered since what happened to Mother, afraid of losing me as well..."

"It sounds like a recipe for feeling lonely to me," Tom mused. "Especially at a tricky age like yours."

"Sometimes it is. It's one reason that I begged him to let me go to public school this year; I was dying to be around people my own age and make some real friends." Adrien turned and flashed a smile at Marinette that made her spine tingle. "And as it happens, your daughter was one of the first people who made me feel at home there."

"Which was my pleasure," she beamed back. "I'll be honest; I've had friends in school, but I've never had a lot of _close_ friends there until this year. Getting to know you has helped me come out of my own shell, too."

Sabine watched the two of them gaze longingly at each other. _They really are made for each other,_ she thought. _Two peas in a pod. They're so close to being a real couple, I can tell... I wish there was something I could say that'd just nudge them over that line!_

 _Though I know that there isn't... if it's going to happen, it'll happen all on its own._

* * *

The four of them quickly made Sabine's main course vanish.

"Mom, you need to make this more often! I loved it," gushed Marinette.

"This was really good, honey," Tom agreed. "Add it to our rotation?"

"My pleasure! It wasn't that hard to make, so when I get a day where we're not busy in the bakery, I can make this again sometime," Sabine glowed.

"Just let me know when, and I'll come running," Adrien smiled. "After two helpings of that, I couldn't eat another bite."

"Now, I'm hoping _that's_ the first untrue thing you've said tonight, young man," grinned Tom. "Give the turkey a little while to settle in our bellies, and I've got quite a dessert to bring out..."

"Somehow I should have known that was coming," grinned Adrien. "Challenge accepted! I can hardly wait."

The four of them settled back in their chairs, sated for the moment.

"So, young man, I have to ask..." ventured Sabine, "What's it like being famous?"

"Maybe you should tell me that," replied Adrien, still grinning. "This _is '_ The Best Bakery in Paris,' isn't it? Your reputation precedes you."

"Ha!" roared Tom. "I knew I liked you. Marinette, you'd better hang onto this one, or he might end up being your adopted brother."

"Oh, I'm working on that," smiled Marinette, just loud enough for Adrien and Sabine to hear.

"You know what I mean," Sabine continued. "Having your pictures in magazines, your face in advertisements, your name on posters all over Paris... Radiant! Carefree! Dreamy!"

 _"Moooom!"_ moaned Marinette. "You're going to embarrass him..." _And me! ESPECIALLY me!_

"She had that ad on endless loop on her computer for about two days," half-whispered Sabine. "Long enough for me to memorize it, too."

Marinette considered whether hiding under the dinner table would be sufficient, or if she should climb into the refrigerator until her embarrassed flush passed.

"Well..." Adrien tried to focus completely on Sabine, giving Marinette a chance to compose herself. "It's an accident of birth, first and foremost. I didn't choose my parents. I could've just as easily been born to anyone else in the world and led a very different life up until now, so I try to never let that go to my head."

He paused for a moment to consider how to phrase things. "It's also a lot of work. My father runs me ragged sometimes with what he has me do, what restrictions he puts on me, what I do for the family business, what I'm allowed to do on my own, what I'm allowed to _eat_... I can only imagine how many laps I'll be running to burn off whatever dessert you have planned, for instance. If there's ever a moment that I'm not living up to his expectations of the Agreste name... _wow,_ do I hear about it in detail."

"But both the good and the bad parts are mostly accidental, like I said. Being who I am gives me opportunities that others don't get. It gives me responsibilities and headaches that others don't get, too. It makes people believe things about me when they don't even know the real me, or assume that they know what I want," he continued. "Like, right before we came over, Chloé Bourgeois tried to give Marinette an earful about 'what kind of person Adrien was meant for.' Like my last name makes me a trophy for someone's display case. Like she thinks that _she_ is."

He sighed, "People like that frustrate me so much. It's not enough that she's at the top of the ladder; she just has to kick down at anyone else within reach."

Adrien looked over at Marinette. "Which is one reason why I like your daughter so very much... I could be named Adrien Shlabotnik instead of Adrien Agreste, and she'd be just as sweet and nice to me. I know that because I see how she is with everyone, not just me," he said, still directed towards her parents. "If anyone needs her help or a kind word, she never thinks twice; she jumps right in, every single time. And when _I_ was at my lowest point ever and truly needed someone recently... well, I don't know what I would've done without Marinette, but she made sure that I'll never find out."

He reached over and took her hand in his. "You really opened my eyes during all of that, Marinette. And I hope you know that I'll never forget that."

"That's our girl," Tom smiled, correctly judging Marinette's inability to speak at that particular moment.

* * *

"Now, shall I fetch dessert?" Tom continued, and three enthusiastic nods sent him on his way to the refrigerator.

"Before we get started, may I use your bathroom?" asked Adrien.

"Of course! I'll show you where it is," Marinette replied, and the two of them got up and headed for the hallway. Sabine took the opportunity to join her husband in the kitchen.

* * *

Marinette led Adrien to the second-floor bathroom and stopped at the door. "Having a good time tonight?" she asked him, feeling pretty sure of the answer.

"Definitely," smiled Adrien. "I like your parents very much! They're easy to talk to, and that's rarer than you'd think. How am I doing with them?"

"Oh, don't even worry about it," Marinette grinned. "They definitely approve; that's obvious. Not that I had any doubt of that."

"I didn't bring the conversation down too much talking about my parents, did I?" he asked, with some concern.

"You didn't. They're the ones who asked, and I thought that you handled it just right," she replied. "I... didn't know all that about your mother, that there's such a question mark over her..."

"Like I said, I take that a day at a time. Special people in my life make that easier," Adrien said, soothingly.

"I hope so. See you in a minute!" Marinette smiled, then left him to his business and went back to the table.

* * *

"So... what do you think?" asked Sabine, as she moved quietly to Tom's side.

He poked his head out of the refrigerator and grinned. "I think that we should get used to having him around all the time. And that's fine by me; he's a delightful young man."

"I feel so anxious for Marinette," Sabine said. "She has been pining for him for _so long_ now..."

Tom stood up, holding his dessert tray with both hands. "I don't think Marinette has anything to worry about," he mused. "He's fascinated by her! A blind man could see that. Whatever she did these last few weeks to help him, it meant the world to him, and now so does _she."_

"Oh, they're _this_ close," agreed Sabine, holding up two fingers a tiny distance apart. "But there's being really, really, really good friends and then there's _romance._ Sometimes that's either there or it isn't, and I think things are still up in the air with the other girl that Marinette told us about. Whoever that is."

"Well, we'll do what we can to help, right?" shrugged Tom, as best he could with both hands full. "And hope for the best. They know what they're doing, even if they don't know that they know what they're doing yet."

* * *

Adrien Agreste stared into the bathroom mirror, deep in thought.

 _I so wish that I knew what to do next,_ he wondered to himself.

 _I mean, I do know for the moment. I'm going to go out there, have some amazing dessert, whatever it is that her father made, share some more small talk, I'll thank them all for a wonderful night... but then what?_

 _I know what my instincts are telling me,_ Adrien grinned. _Marinette is... everything about these last few days with her feels so NATURAL! Like she's the one I've always been meant to be with. She's someone I'd want by my side every single day. She's the sweetest ever, she's funny, she's talented in so many ways, she's so pretty, she's done _so much_ for me, and she wants this relationship so much. There's nothing not to like._

 _She wouldn't have any of the secret identity complications that dating Ladybug would bring..._ _Well, _Ladybug's_ identity, anyway. I still have to figure out when and if to tell Marinette about Chat Noir... but one step at a time. She didn't seem like she was in any hurry to know yesterday._

He stared at his reflection, gathering his thoughts.

 _I could become Marinette's boyfriend tonight._

 _That's right there for the asking._

 _It's what she wants. It's... something that _I_ want. It's not what I came here planning on asking her tonight... but it feels so right every time I think about it!_

 _But..._

Adrien closed his eyes. In his mind's eye, he saw a dark-haired girl reaching out to him, undisguised longing behind her big blue eyes...

...and a red-and-black mask that seemed to fade in and out, Ladybug and Marinette shifting back and forth in his imagination, a mental image that he still found at least a little bit puzzling.

 _But Ladybug was so sincere about me, too, and I can't let myself forget that. I know that Ladybug insisted I give Marinette a chance to express herself, so she could respond to what happened the night of the storm. Would it be at all fair to Ladybug if I committed to Marinette without giving HER that same opportunity?_

He laughed to himself, _Of course, this could go on all year and drive all three of us insane! There's never going to be a time when they're not BOTH dear to me. They're both so intent on staying friends with each other that neither one wants to hurt the other. Which means that they both seem to want me to make the choice for them..._

 _Can I find a way to do that?_

Once more, Adrien opened his eyes, and gave himself a hard stare as he washed his hands. _Get a grip on yourself,_ he smiled at himself. _Go out there and enjoy Marinette's company and your dessert before she sends out a search party. When it feels right... you'll do what's right._

* * *

Marinette sat impatiently at the table with her mother, waiting for the gentlemen to return.

"Marinette?" her mother said, lightly. "Don't forget to breathe."

"I know, I know," Marinette whispered back, with a nervous grin.

A moment later, Adrien returned to his seat, and Tom approached the table with a knowing smile.

"Voila!" Tom proclaimed. "The young man told me that passionfruit was his favorite flavor, so..."

The tray he sat down was covered in round pastries with fluffy white tops, each one lightly caramelized.

"...Passionfruit and lemon meringue tartlets," he continued, proudly. "I, too, have a 'like it or we order out' guarantee, but it's never been tested."

"And it won't be tonight, either," Adrien remarked. "Those look _wonderful!"_

"Dig in," Sabine encouraged him. "You, too, Marinette, there are plenty of them here to go around."

Adrien gladly offered up his plate, then dug a fork into the pastry he received on it. One taste, and the look on his face told Tom everything he needed to know about his handiwork.

"Can I rent a room here?" Adrien blurted out, hungrily digging in for more. "I'll wash dishes, do the laundry, mow the lawn, whatever! Just promise me more of these and I won't be leaving."

Tom shaded his mouth with his hand and fake-whispered to him, "Psst! You're supposed to say that _Marinette_ has that effect on you, not my pastries. Thank you, though," he added, as everyone laughed.

Marinette felt the tiniest of tugs at her pantleg. With a practiced hand, she separated a piece of her tartlet into her napkin, then palmed it and brought her hand down beneath the table. Tiny Kwami hands quickly whisked it away from her, their owner zipping down through the floor and into the bakery below with her precious cargo.

* * *

On the first floor of the building, Plagg sat on a display case, watching Tikki wolf down her tartlet portion.

"What was that? I couldn't make out what you said," teased Plagg.

"I shaid... I fink I'm in LOVE," Tikki mumbled through a mouthful of meringue. "Dish is _wormdeful!"_ For intelligibility's sake, she swallowed twice before continuing. "You absolutely _must try this,_ Plagg! Mr. Dupain has outdone himself," she insisted.

Plagg sniffed at it, then accepted the taste Tikki handed to him. "Not bad... I was _hoping_ for a cheese platter for dessert, but this'll work for now," he noted, nibbling at it cheerfully. "It's a good thing that we're more spiritual than physical," he teased her. "If human food affected you like it does them, you'd look like a twenty-kilo tomato with feet with all the sweets you eat here!"

"And you'd smell like an old gym sock, with all the Camembert you eat!" retorted Tikki. "Oh, wait! You do," she grinned, mischievously.

"You love it," sniffed Plagg. "Maybe I'll have to tweak the menu when Marinette comes over Thursday night... some kind of Limburger side dish..."

"Hey! About that," interjected Tikki. "The visit, not the cheese. I have a silly question for you. I know how observant you usually are, which is about the same as a lamppost, but have you ever noticed anything _way_ out of the ordinary about Adrien's father or his house?"

"Like what?" Plagg asked, feeling curious. "I mean, he's rich as heck, he's a weird guy, he treats his son like dirt sometimes but then makes up for it just enough to keep Adrien sane. Is there something specific I should be looking for?"

"I'm not sure. Just... poke around the house while Adrien's sleeping sometime, okay? See if there's anything strange going on beyond the ordinary," replied Tikki, warily. "Like the strange machinery Adrien was talking about tonight... I don't know why, I've just been getting a bad feeling about him lately from the way Adrien's described him. As if he has something planned for Marinette, or for Ladybug, or _both_ somehow. Root around on your own and see what you can find in the house... or we can both sneak off when Marinette visits this week. She's never been in his house as herself for very long, so I've never had a chance to snoop."

"You don't still think that he's Hawkmoth, do you? When he was Akumatized, I thought that cleared that up," Plagg wondered aloud.

"I don't know _what_ I think. Maybe he is just a weird guy. But do me a favor and case the place for me before I get there?" offered Tikki. "Call it a hunch; my intuition isn't wrong very often. It's also a chance for you to have fun doing mischief around the house..."

Tikki smiled at Plagg's sudden wide grin. "Yeah, I _thought_ that might appeal to you," she giggled.

* * *

Post-dessert conversation was pleasant. Adrien and Marinette took over the kitchen and did the dishes together, talking quietly amongst themselves all the while, then returned to the main room hand-in-hand.

"As much as I hate to say it," said Adrien, "I probably should be heading home soon. I've got a few things that I need to get done tonight, including finishing a Physics project, though I _really_ don't want to leave. Mr. Dupain, Mrs. Cheng, supper was delicious, and those tartlets were out of this world! Thank you so much for having me!"

"Our pleasure as well, and we enjoyed your company," Tom beamed. "We'd be very happy to do this again sometime."

As Adrien texted his bodyguard to come pick him up, Sabine added, "Come by any time! You'll always be welcome here, and you know where to find a morning snack when you want one. Would you like what's left of the dessert to take home with you?"

Adrien looked thoughtful for a moment. "I probably shouldn't... but I don't know that there's any way I can say 'no' to that," he relented. "I know that Nathalie would love them - we have pretty much the same taste in sweets - and I'm sure that my father would, too. Thank you! That's very kind of you."

"That's why I made that many of them to start with; I figured some would be leaving with you," grinned Tom. "I'll go box them up."

Marinette returned from the hallway, having retrieved their heavy coats and winter gear from the closet. "I hate to let you go out there for a _few_ reasons," she moped. "It's pretty nasty out there tonight."

"Oh, I'll be in a warm car," smiled Adrien. "The Gorilla should be here in a couple of minutes, so I won't be out there for long at all."

"And I'll bet that I can help you keep warm until then," grinned Marinette, watching her parents' faces as she said it. " _Without_ scandalizing the neighbors," she added with a laugh.

Sabine watched as Adrien and Marinette helped each other bundle up, her daughter clearly intending to walk him to his car when it arrived. One detail in particular caught her eye...

"Oh! Marinette, I see that Adrien's wearing the scarf that you made him!" she called out.

* * *

Both teens froze in mid-motion.

"The scarf that... _Marinette_ made?" asked Adrien, turning towards Sabine and looking extremely startled.

"Well, yes! I watched her spend a lot of time knitting that for your birth... day?" replied Sabine, trailing off as she saw her daughter go wide-eyed with alarm. Marinette shook her head back and forth, shouting _No, no, NO!_ with her eyes and tiny head movements, then stopped as she sensed Adrien turning to face her.

"Wait, I'm confused. Marinette... _you_ knitted this scarf?" Adrien repeated, starting to put some mental pieces together.

"I... did," she admitted, sheepishly. "You, um... your driver will be here in just a minute, right?"

"He should be..." said Adrien, nowhere near ready to let the subject drop.

"Let's step outside for a moment and talk, okay?" Marinette asked, with pleading eyes.

Tom walked back into the room with a white box tied with string, his buoyant mood pausing as he sensed the shift in the room's dynamics. "Is something wrong?" he asked, looking confused.

"Not at all, Mr. Dupain. Thank you so much!" replied Adrien, regaining some composure, taking the dessert box from him with a renewed smile. "Marinette and I just need to talk about something for a second. She'll be right back, and have a good night, both of you! I had a wonderful time."

The pair stepped out the back door quickly, leaving Marinette's parents alone and a bit unsettled.

"What did I just miss?" asked Tom, bewildered. "I thought the evening was going so well for both of them!"

"I screwed up just now. How, I have no idea...," mumbled Sabine, "...but I _so_ did."

* * *

Once outside, Adrien's eyes were riveted on Marinette's, and there was urgency in his voice.

"I guess this explains why I love this scarf so much," began Adrien. "The work you did on it was fantastic, and I've worn it so many times since I got it... but you never told me that _you'd_ made it, Marinette! I don't... did my father commission you to do it?" He thought back to that time period, trying to make sense of things. "Wait. Did he even know who you were way back then?" he wondered aloud. "No, he couldn't have. That was before... Then how...?"

"Adrien, I want to explain, but..." began Marinette, then fell silent.

 _Dammit, Mom!_ she thought. _I know that you didn't know how things had happened back then, but... oh, I didn't want to start something, but I guess there's no avoiding it now._

"...Adrien, he didn't commission it. I made that on my own," she finally admitted, looking downwards. "It's not like my crush is a secret any more, but it kind of was then. I tried to give it to you in person, but I was too nervous that day and I couldn't, so when I went to your house, Nathalie had me drop it off in your mail slot."

"Then why did she tell me that it was from my father?" Adrien asked, aimed more at himself than at Marinette, looking perturbed.

"You and your father were having issues back then, too. Nino told me that your father wouldn't even let you have a birthday party with friends, and that's how he got Akumatized into the Bubbler that day, and a bunch of other things happened..." explained Marinette. "Anyway, I guess I forgot to sign my gift, and Nathalie must've, um, claimed it herself. You looked so happy that your father had given you something special for your birthday that, well, I didn't have the heart to tell you that he hadn't and spoil that for you. It meant so much more coming from _him_ than it would've from me."

She looked up at Adrien with soulful eyes. He didn't look angry at all... but most definitely stunned. She continued, "Adrien, I didn't mean to lie to you about it... I just didn't want to-"

"Marinette?" asked Adrien, leaning in closer, his own eyes shining brighter. "This morning, when you saw that scarf and commented on it, you _still_ didn't tell me that you'd made it even though we're so much closer now. Why didn't you say something today?"

"Um..." she stammered.

"I'm not mad or hurt at all! The exact opposite, I promise, and I _know_ that you never lied to me about it. I just want to know... why didn't you tell me?" he pleaded, gently. "Please?"

Marinette swallowed hard before answering.

"One of the reasons that we are here _right now_ is that you and your father were having hard times again, even worse than before. I'm really glad that I could help you with all of that, and it seems like that's been much better lately... so I didn't want to say anything that'd make you think less of your father, and maybe start bad feelings up again."

She tried to read his emotions from the look on his face, which seemed more full of wonder than anything else. "You're very important to me, Adrien. And _he's_ very important to _you._ So I was trying to... I mean, I thought that it would be best if I..."

* * *

The revealed truth poured into Adrien like a shot of pure adrenaline.

 _Even before I knew Marinette well... she was putting my emotions above her own,_ he realized. _Even while she had a crush on me and was so nervous that she couldn't say it out loud! She wanted me to be happy even if that meant that she wasn't._

He looked down into her bluebell eyes, which were focused on him intently, waiting to see how he would respond.

 _And even now, she's still doing it!_ thought Adrien. _She was ready to let Ladybug date me instead, if that's who and what I'd wanted most. Last night on the phone, I had to convince her to tell me her true feelings about that! She was ready to hide the truth about my scarf forever and let someone else take credit, if that meant that I'd feel better about my father and Nathalie!_

 _That look in her eyes has me so helpless... I can't even move..._

Adrien tried to speak... but found himself getting choked up, instead.

 _And she knows that Ladybug is interested in me - someone she knows that I've been in love with, someone so hard for me to resist - and she had _this_ secret in her back pocket all the while. Something that she knew would mean so much to me, that might help tip the balance in her direction - and she STILL... put MY feelings first..._

 _She is the most selfless, giving, incredible person..._

A rush of emotions swept over him, carrying him along like a gale-force wind, pushing him towards Marinette.

 _This is someone that I should be in love with._

 _Absolutely, completely, madly in love._

 __Crazy_ about._

 _Irreplaceable._

 _Irresistible._

He watched Marinette's face light up as his smile returned in full.

 _This is someone that I should be kissing. _Right now_._

And this time, before he could wonder why he wasn't...

* * *

Lightning crashed through Marinette Dupain-Cheng's body as Adrien Agreste stepped forward, took her into his arms and kissed her, slowly and tenderly, one kiss turning into dozens more, the two of them melting together into one bundled-up figure by the front door of the bakery.

* * *

Inside the house, Tom and Sabine dashed to the front window of the second floor, intently curious as to what was going on. They watched their daughter and Adrien talking to each other, Adrien appearing startled and Marinette apologetic and trying to explain something, from what body language seemed to tell them from afar.

"What do you think?" asked Sabine, extremely nervously. "Why wouldn't she have _told_ him that she'd made that scarf?"

"I don't know! I mean... I'm sure that she had her reasons, but..." Tom mumbled. "I don't get it, either."

"From the look on Marinette's face before they left, I'm _sure_ that I just caused problems for them," Sabine agonized. "And they were doing _so well_ together! If this means that they-"

Adrien stepped forward at that moment...

 _"Oh!"_ Sabine gasped.

"Sabine? If that's the problem you just caused, somehow I think you've just been officially forgiven," her husband smiled, putting his arm around her shoulders.

* * *

The Gorilla drove down the street to the Dupain-Cheng Boulangerie, feeling a bit grumpy about being out on a bitter night like this.

He'd had a full evening planned - cozied up in his room with some light music, a glass or two of Chablis and the collected works of Michel Foucault - and instead, he was out driving around in frigid weather, collecting his young charge from his first dinner date with the baker girl. _Couldn't they have picked a better night for it than this?_ he rumbled to himself. _The weather tonight's not fit for man nor beast. I_ _certainly hope that he thinks that this date was worth all the inconvenience..._

As his car pulled to a stop at the curb, he looked over and saw an entwined couple standing near the front door of the bakery...

 _Heh!_

 _Well, whaddya know?_

 _I'll give 'em a few minutes before I honk the horn._

* * *

Marinette opened her eyes, very slowly, taking in the new and different world that she now inhabited.

She had no idea if it'd been a few seconds, a minute, an hour... if it was the next night... if it was the same year. She couldn't feel the cold at all. For some strange reason, her conscious mind was focused completely on other things.

"A-Adrien?" she whispered, as they each caught their breath.

"You told me that I'd know when it was time," whispered Adrien. "And you were right."

"You sure did," Marinette gasped, tingling from head to toe. "And was Alix's theory right?"

 _"Oh,_ yeah," Adrien breathed. "Though I won't tell her that or we'll never hear the end of it."

They stood forehead-to-forehead, grinning uncontrollably, holding each other close until a quick flash from the Gorilla's headlights reminded them that, yes, they did in fact still inhabit the real world.

"Are we..." Adrien began, hesitantly.

"Don't you _even_ overthink this. Not now. This is a perfect moment," whispered Marinette.

"You're right... I won't... but I know for sure... doing that was no mistake, Marinette," Adrien said, slowly recovering. "That wasn't optional. That was from the heart."

"I'm so glad," bubbled Marinette, and they leaned into each other once more until the headlights flashed again a minute later.

"Next time, my place?" Adrien asked her.

"Absolutely. Walk me to school tomorrow?" replied Marinette.

"You know it. More of what just happened?"

"There'd _better_ be," she beamed.

They shared one more goodnight kiss, briefer than the previous string of them but just as heartfelt, then Adrien half-stumbled over to the waiting sedan.

"Good night," each called, then Adrien stepped inside, his face at the window locked on hers until the car pulled away.

* * *

Marinette spent a moment in quiet reflection, taking it all in, then whispered, "Tikki?"

"Yes, Marinette?" said her Kwami, from within her winter coat.

With the biggest smile of her life, Marinette said, "Remind me later... that I _seriously_ need to do more knitting."

* * *

Next time:

* Walking an emotional tightrope requires balance.

* Some things should be said out loud.

* "There is something that you need to understand."

* "Well, _this_ is a weird-looking... whatever it is."

* "I really need to see you... soon."

* A gasp in the night...


	14. When Two Become One

Someone To Watch Over Me, Chapter 14: When Two Become One

* * *

Once back inside her house, Marinette made it all of five steps up the staircase before her mother rushed to her side.

"Did I just see him...?" gasped Sabine, a bit out of breath.

"You certainly did!" replied Marinette, with unmistakable bliss on her face.

"Are the two of you..." asked Sabine.

"I think so! I mean, we'll have to talk about it to be sure, but... those weren't _friendly_ kisses," she giggled back.

"That's _wonderful,_ Marinette! Okay," Sabine managed, regaining most of her wind. "Now _what the heck did I say_ up there? You both looked so shocked!"

"Come on, let's go upstairs and I'll explain it to both of you," Marinette smiled. "Trust me, what you said wasn't your fault... and it worked out _perfectly_ in the end."

* * *

Adrien laid his head back against the seat of the car, eyes closed, reenacting the evening in his mind. The last several minutes in particular required intense study, multiple replays and, with the assistance of his imagination, a variety of mental camera angles.

 _That.. girl... can... KISS!_

 _When I first leaned in and took her in my arms, she seemed frozen for just a moment, like she hadn't been expecting it... but as soon she realized what was happening, WOW! Miss I've-Never-Been-Kissed-For-Real knew _exactly_ what she was doing! I thought I was standing on a live wire!_

 _It was like... like she'd kissed me a hundred times before, and knew exactly what I'd like, how I'd move, how I'd react. It was uncanny!_

 _I mean, I _was_ a little biased,_ he grinned. _I wanted - I _needed_ to kiss her like nothing I've ever needed in my life... so from my end, it was electrifying even before it started! But that look in her eyes, the way that she melted into me, that cinnamon aroma in the air from the bakery behind us, the way she moved, the way she felt... the snow flurries floating around us, like we were the centerpiece of a snow globe..._

 _...like she said, that was a _perfect_ moment. I don't even have the words._

 _And the way that she looked at me and smiled when we caught our breath..._

He caught himself shivering, remembering it, even though he wasn't cold.

 _It's all I can do to keep from asking the Gorilla to drive me back there now!_

 _Well, that, and if I asked him to do that in this weather, he'd sit on me._

Adrien caught a glimpse of the Gorilla grinning at him from the rear-view mirror, and smiled back.

 _I have a girlfriend._

 _Wow..._

 _I didn't think I'd be saying that tonight... but I sure do! And she's wonderful. SO wonderful!_

 _And I have one little problem left..._

* * *

"...And _that's_ why I freaked out when you said that," Marinette explained carefully, trying hard to make sure her mother's feelings weren't bruised. "You had no way of knowing that I'd been hiding that the scarf was from me, because I hadn't told you that part. Only Alya knew about that, because she was with me when I left the note on it and when Adrien first wore it to school afterwards."

Tom nodded, doing his best to understand. "And if you'd told him then, it might've done more harm than good. But surely there must've been _some_ time between then and now to at least bring it up...?"

Sabine shook her head. "No, I get that now. The poor thing was nervous enough around the boy, and terrified of messing up her chances with him." She leaned forward and hugged Marinette in sympathy. "I just wish that you'd told _me_ at some point!"

"Mom, I was afraid that you'd talk me into telling _him,"_ smiled Marinette, sheepishly. "And you probably could've talked me into trying, but what would've come out of my mouth was 'bla-blah-bla-bla-blah-bla-blah' back then."

Marinette paused, then added, "And at that point, I don't know if it _would've_ had the effect I wanted. He had a massive crush on someone else back then, and I don't know that I could've done anything then to change that. It took a perfect storm over the last couple of weeks for me to break through _now_."

Her father raised an eyebrow and said, "Now, it's hard for me to believe that there's _anyone's_ head that my beautiful daughter couldn't turn. And as for being afraid to try, you know what I always say about making mistakes in the kitchen..."

"Half of all triumphs happen by accident," recited Marinette, dutifully. "I know, Dad, and that's true. My first kiss _just happened_ kind of by accident, because I sure didn't have Mom say what she did on purpose!" she grinned. "He asked me why I hadn't told him that I'd made the scarf, and I explained why I'd hidden the truth about it then _and_ now... and all of a sudden, his eyes went wide, his smile even wider, and I was in his arms."

"It's not so easy to put yourself out there like that, Tom," Sabine noted. "You remember when you and _I_ were courting, right? We both had our moments."

"Yeahhhh...," he conceded. "I'll agree with that if you'll agree not to tell _those_ stories."

* * *

As the sedan pulled to a stop in the garage of the Agreste mansion, Adrien hopped out with his box of desserts in his hands. He watched as the Gorilla closed the driver-side door and studied him carefully.

"I am _so sorry_ to make you come out on a night like this. I really am. I hope the tartlets I brought back will be an adequate 'thank you,'" Adrien apologized, showing off the package in his hands. When the Gorilla gave him a slight nod, Adrien turned and headed for the door...

A meaty hand grasped his shoulder, gently turning him back around.

Adrien looked up at his bodyguard's massive figure with a curious expression.

The Gorilla pointed to Adrien, then reached behind his head and flipped two imaginary pigtails. He made a kissy face, then looked down at Adrien.

"Y-yes, that's exactly who and what you saw," Adrien smiled, a little nervously. "Quite a lot of that, actually."

The bodyguard formed a heart shape with his hands... then pointed his index fingers in opposite directions, towards and away from Adrien, with a questioning look.

"Do we care for each other... and is it mutual?" asked Adrien, and to the Gorilla's nod, he replied, "Definitely. She's wanted that for a long time... and I want it, too."

The Gorilla stared down at him, sizing him up... He reached up with his hands in a heart shape again, holding them up to the center of his chest. With considerable theatrics, he made his hands pulse, as if his heart was beating fast; his eyes closed, he smiled, and he let out a deep sigh.

Adrien took it all in, working on what he meant by the gesture...

"Are you asking if I'm really serious about her?" Adrien wondered aloud. "If I'm falling for her?"

The eyes opened as the large head nodded again.

 _Am I?_

"I... I think I am," replied Adrien, quietly. "I am. I've had my crushes, but this is something... different. Bigger. Realer."

The big man nodded, with the beginnings of a smile on his face. He reached down and tapped at the back of his left wrist.

"Um... what time is it? Am I too late? Are you saying that I'm..." Adrien stumbled.

A shake of the Gorilla's head indicated that Adrien hadn't grasped what he meant. He pointed to Adrien, flipped an invisible pigtail again, then tapped his wrist once more...

"...it's _about time_ that that happened with her?" guessed Adrien.

He watched as the Gorilla smiled broadly, a rather rare sight. The bodyguard clapped his hand onto Adrien's far shoulder, and escorted Adrien into the house cheerfully.

* * *

"I am just _so happy_ that everything's worked out the way it has," beamed Sabine. "He seems like such a charming young man, so polite and nice, and he _obviously_ has very strong feelings for you. You two are _so cute_ together!"

"You have my blessing, too," agreed Tom. "I don't even have to mention taking certain things very slowly...?"

 _"NO,_ you don't," blushed Marinette. "We did talk about that the other day, right? I think we'll be far too fascinated with kissing for a _long_ while to consider anything more dangerous."

"And that's smart of you. If... complications do start sounding closer, you'll come and talk with me, okay?" asked Sabine.

"I will, I promise. I know I'm in no hurry."

"So what comes next for the happy couple?" her father wondered.

"Well, I'll talk with him tonight. I'm... I can't imagine that he's _not_ my boyfriend now, but we didn't say the exact words, you know?" replied Marinette. "If we're on the same page, he'll walk me to school in the morning as usual, and he's invited me to dinner Thursday night at his house. I'll get to meet his family properly."

"I'd like to meet his father myself sometime," mused Tom. "From what I knew about him before and from what Adrien told us tonight, he sounds like an interesting man."

"And a complicated one, and a troubled one," Sabine added. "Marinette, maybe you can be a little ray of sunshine around that house, in your own way."

"I really want to be," Marinette said, with a serious expression. "All of this started because Adrien's home life was falling apart and I found my own way to help him. I need to mind my place, of course... Mr. Agreste is Adrien's father and _THE_ Gabriel Agreste, and I'll want to tread lightly and stay in his good graces however I can... but if I'm there and can see how they are around each other, maybe I can give Adrien better advice. Or I can just be who he leans on when times get tough again."

"Oh, I have no doubt of that," Tom smiled. "You won him with your caring heart, not your pretty face, though he appears to have no complaints about _that,_ either! I've been counting down the days until this happened, just from the look I've seen in his eyes on school mornings, and the little bit that I've talked with him so far."

"I'm a little amazed that your phone isn't glowing white-hot," Sabine grinned. "Alya isn't begging for an update? Among others?"

"For all she knows, our supper date's still going on," explained Marinette. "I'll tell her _after_ I talk to Adrien later. I want to make sure that I give her the _right_ good news!"

"How about we'll leave you to that, then?" replied Sabine. "I'd imagine that you've got a few things to do to get ready for tomorrow..."

"...Like figuring out how I'll sleep tonight," Marinette giggled.

"Come here, you!" beckoned Sabine, pulling Marinette in for a big hug before she left. "I am _so proud_ of you, you know that?" Sabine said, tenderly. "You wanted to win his heart _so badly_ , and you did it the right way... by being yourself. By caring for him so much that he just had to notice."

"I didn't think it would ever work... but I'm so happy that it did," Marinette glowed, holding the hug for several seconds. She dashed into the hallway to hang up her coat and hat and scarf, then flew upstairs like a pigtailed bolt of happy lightning.

"And so it begins," grinned Tom, wryly.

* * *

"Well, hello," Nathalie said as she saw the kitchen door open. "How did the big date go?"

Adrien's face said it all. As did the Gorilla striking a Cupid pose, then fluttering his hands as if about to take flight.

 _"That_ well, huh?" she grinned.

 _"Beyond_ that well," replied Adrien, bashfully. His face clouded for a moment, and he added, "And as happy as I am about it... you and I need to talk about something, Nathalie..."

He sat the box of tartlets down on the counter and motioned to the Gorilla, who wasted no time investigating. As the big man busied himself, Adrien approached Nathalie and began speaking in a low voice.

"Does _this_ look familiar to you?" he asked, gesturing to the scarf still around his neck.

"It does. It's the scarf your father got you for your birthday, isn't it?" said Nathalie, still smiling but sensing something in the air.

"No, it _isn't,_ " Adrien stated. "It's the scarf that _Marinette Dupain-Cheng_ _made me_ for my birthday, and that _you_ gave to me claiming that it was from him."

Nathalie stared back, struggling for an answer... then looked down, not finding a plausible one. "Guilty," she admitted. "But do _not_ confront your father about it! It was my fault, not his."

 _Damn it,_ she thought. _THAT_ _was the girl who dropped the gift off that day? This is going to take some fast talking._

"Your father had asked me to make sure you had a nice birthday gift..." Nathalie stammered, "...Something besides a pen for a change. And we were... um... swamped with contracts and some last-minute operations and I _totally dropped the ball_. I found the gift among the other ones your friends and fans had left, I wasn't sure who it was from..."

"You're lying about that," Adrien replied, flatly.

"And _what_ makes you say that?" she snapped back, looking annoyed.

"Marinette told me that she talked _specifically_ to you that day, when she dropped it off in person. AND that she'd managed to get in here during my party and leave a note on it with her name on it. It's not that you didn't know who it was from... you just didn't _care."_

Nathalie fell silent for a moment.

"You know what? You're right, I didn't," she sighed. "Because I didn't know that girl from Adam. So if it came to you thinking well of some random girl I didn't know if you'd ever see again, or if she was just a fan of yours, or what... or of your _father_ , I knew what I had to do, and which would be more important to you." She crossed her arms, defiantly. "I'm sorry that it happened, okay? But I'm not going to apologize for thinking of you and him first."

"Would you apologize to _her?_ Since she's my _girlfriend_ now, and she told me what she thought had happened that day, and you just confirmed it out loud?"

"Your _girlfriend?_ For real?" Nathalie replied, seizing on the distraction. "That's wonderful, Adri-"

Adrien's stare cut right through her sentence.

"All right. I think I may have to," said Nathalie, grudgingly. "Can we do it in a time and place away from your father?"

"We can," shrugged Adrien, his anger fading somewhat. "I'm not going to make a bigger deal out of this than it is, what's done is done... but there is something that you need to understand."

* * *

As soon as she reached her room, Marinette saw a tiny scarlet blur burst into flight around her, dancing a happy trail through the air.

"Oh, my _gosh_ , Marinette! I am _so, so, so_ happy for you two!" bubbled Tikki. "He's been falling for you for weeks. Well, from what I just saw... that boy has _fallen_. Completely!"

 _"Yes,"_ gasped Marinette, simply overwhelmed. "It's everything I could have wanted. That kiss was like _heaven!"_

"The next few dozen didn't look too bad, either," Tikki giggled. "You realize what he realized just at that moment, right? Not just that you'd made that scarf... but the way that you'd put his feelings over your own by not telling him. That melted his heart."

"Y-yeah," she agreed, "I'm pretty sure you're right. That wasn't how I wanted him to find out about it... but I'm not complaining now! As long as his finding out doesn't cause family problems..."

"And you're still doing it, Marinette," noted Tikki. "And that's your nature, and that's why he's crazy about you. Adrien's not going to pick a fight with anyone at home over this; I'd say that he's just a _little bit distracted_ right now, wouldn't you?"

"He'd _better_ be, after all that," grinned Marinette, a little shyly.

* * *

Adrien told Nathalie the story of how Marinette's mother had let the secret out, how startled he'd been - how startled _Marinette_ had been - and how their conversation about it outside had gone.

"In a really weird way... I'm not sure if you did me a favor or not, inadvertently," Adrien managed, feeling a little conflicted. "The scarf is beautiful; I've loved it ever since I got it," he said. "And if I'd known that my pretty classmate had put that much time and effort into a handmade gift like that... maybe I would've looked at her differently then. This school year might've gone down a very different road. I might be celebrating a several-months anniversary with her now, instead of just starting to see her with clear eyes these last couple of weeks."

"...And maybe I wouldn't have," he admitted, as Nathalie let him continue, listening wordlessly. "I had a big crush on someone else then. _You_ asked me the other day why I hadn't looked at Marinette that way, and I really didn't have an answer! I was just starting to realize things... about her... and I don't know exactly what I'd have done if that gift had happened before I discovered just how special she is."

"But now that you know that she _did_ make it..." offered Nathalie.

"You're still not getting it," Adrien said, shaking his head. "I'm thrilled that she made it for me. I'm _blown away_ that she knew someone else had taken the credit, and she _held that back_ because she wanted me to feel better about Father. And she was _happy_ to do it! And here we are, a year later, and she _still_ put that concern over her own emotions, _even when I was falling for her right in front of her eyes._ Even when we were _this close_ to the one thing she truly wanted most."

"...Wow."

"Yeah. _Wow,"_ smiled Adrien. "That's not just some classmate or some girl or some pretty face. That's someone to _love."_

Nathalie looked over at the Gorilla, who was halfway through a passionfruit tartlet... and who gave her a nod of agreement with Adrien before returning to his dessert.

* * *

In her room, Marinette stared at her phone impatiently.

 _I know, I know. You have your father to talk to, you have Nathalie to talk to... I can only imagine the earful that SHE might be getting from you._

 _So I'm not going to call you until I see that you're logged into Messenger and you're active there. That way I'll know that you're free to talk._

 _And I am going to make that happen any second now through FORCE OF WILL and whatever latent mental powers I might_ have, she grinned, concentrating on the screen of her phone...

* * *

After heading upstairs, Adrien flung off his winter coat and literally jumped for joy on the way across his room. "I _did it_ , Plagg!" he said, as loudly as he dared.

"You sure did," Plagg agreed, floating out of hiding. "Congratulations! You, uh... you know you're inside, right? You can take that scarf off now."

"Take it off? I might go to sleep wrapped up with it tonight," Adrien laughed, giddy with excitement now that they were alone. "I'm just... I'm still taking it all in, you know? What I found out tonight, what it meant, how she reacted, what happened outside... I might not manage to sleep for another week."

"Good! Well, kind of. After about four days you'll start hallucinating things," the Kwami quipped. "You're absolutely sure about this, right?"

"I couldn't be more sure," said Adrien, sitting down on his bed. "I was going back-and-forth at her house when I was in the bathroom, whether or not to pull the trigger on becoming a couple... but after what happened next, there wasn't even a question. I _know._ I love her, Plagg."

"I think that you two will be great together. I really do," Plagg smiled. "Do you know what you're going to do about Ladybug?"

"Tell her the truth?" Adrien replied, the thought sobering him slightly. "I mean, I _have to_. I'm not going to string her along if I'm serious about Marinette. And that sounds so freakin' _crazy_... _me,_ stringing along _Ladybug?_ " He laughed at the absurdity of the concept. "A month ago I'd have given ten years off my life for Ladybug to look at me with those eyes. And now I'm figuring out how to _let her down easy_?"

He gave Plagg a sad smile. "You remember what she told me... 'I just need a place in your life. If we're good friends and Marinette dates you, I'm fine with that.' I just have to hope that she was honest when she said that, and to be as gentle as I can and hope that she'll ever want to hang out with me again."

Plagg looked thoughtful. "Knowing Ladybug... I think you _will_ want to be gentle and sweet with her, but I also think that she'll understand. Heroes dating normal people can get really tricky. You know that, and she knows that. And she knows how sincere Marinette is about you... and she sensed how you felt about Marinette."

"I just don't want to _hurt_ her," Adrien said, quietly. "I want Ladybug to be happy with whoever else she meets. Even happier than she might have been with me."

"I'm sure she will be," Plagg replied, chuckling to himself. "But give some thought as to how and when and where to tell her. Someone else is probably sitting by her phone right now..."

"Oh! Yes, of course!" Adrien grabbed his phone and opened his contact list. "And I sure don't want to keep _her_ waiting..."

* * *

Nathalie Sancoeur stood outside her employer's door, leading to the private quarters where he would typically spend his evenings. She held her phone in her hand, weighing her options.

 _Adrien really is sincere about that girl,_ she thought. _He's crazy about her, no doubt about it. Whatever happened over there tonight made his mind up in a big way..._

 _...And I really did do both of them a disservice back then._

 _I mean, not that I'm that concerned about it. I did what I needed to do at the time, and she really was just 'some girl' then. I'll fumble through an apology when she visits and leave it at that. She's a sweet girl, from what I've seen and heard of her. She'll be good for Adrien in a lot of ways._

She frowned at her phone, a message-in-progress staring back at her, waiting to be sent.

 _And that's... bothering me. It shouldn't, but it is._

 _Marinette really_ __would_ __ do Adrien a world of good - emotionally, socially, romantically - and what I'm about to do could threaten all of that. He is _so_ happy right now! Gabriel needs to inflict emotional whiplash to get Adrien Akumatized the way that he has to be - it's for Adrien's own good, for his mother's sake! - but HE doesn't know that. And dangling this new relationship in front of Adrien and then smashing it to bits, which Gabriel might do, could traumatize him._

 _He looked genuinely hurt when he confronted me just then about what I'd done to Marinette months ago. What would he do if he knew I was betraying his new love this way?_

With a grimace, Nathalie gathered her will and reached toward the [Send] button.

 _You're not his mother, Nathalie. You're the hired help. Do what you have to do._

 _I'm sorry, Adrien. I truly am._

 **[Nathalie] Sir, are you available?**

A moment passed...

 **[Gabriel] I am. You have news?**

 **[Nathalie] You had instructed me to keep an eye on Adrien's love triangle, and if he reached a decision or an emotional state that could be manipulated, to let you know.**

 **[Gabriel] ...And?**

 **[Nathalie] _We've got him._**

 **[Gabriel] Come inside. Now.**

* * *

Marinette's phone rang for approximately an eighth of a second before she accepted the call. "Hello there," she glowed.

"Hello, yourself," grinned Adrien. "For _some_ strange reason, you were on my mind just now! How did it go when you went back inside?"

"Very well! They're thrilled for us," Marinette replied. "I explained to my mother about the scarf - she had no idea that I hadn't told you it was mine - so that she'll be able to sleep tonight. She thought she'd ruined everything when she saw the looks on our faces... Anyway, you made a great impression on them and you're welcome back any time. How about on your side of things?"

"Not bad, so far. I haven't seen my father yet - he's buried back in his office, as usual - but the Gorilla couldn't stop grinning. 'It's about time,' he thinks, and he's right! Nathalie wanted to know how our date went, and I made her admit to me what she'd done with your scarf. I think you're due an apology when you see her next."

"I wasn't going to push for one," said Marinette, softly, "or have that cause any problems for either of us. You know that, right?"

"It's a big reason why what just happened, happened," Adrien agreed. "I made sure that she knew it was me wanting answers, not you... and we talked it out. If you're okay with it, I'm okay. But I also made sure she understood just how important you are to me now."

"I am, huh?" she replied, teasingly.

"You are." There was no doubt in his voice. "And that's one of the other reasons I called. I wanted to make sure that I introduce you to them properly."

* * *

"What are my choices?" asked Marinette, with anticipation running through her. "There are two Ts in Marinette, if that's what you were wondering."

"I know _that_ , silly," groaned Adrien, as Marinette broke up into giggles. "I was thinking in terms of something else, if I can continue..."

"Go for it," Marinette grinned.

"Well..." Adrien began, a little nervously. "You and I have been more than just school friends for a while now. A long while, even if it took me _forever_ to finally realize that. But I meant everything I said at the dinner table tonight... You are a _huge_ reason why I got through that rough month with my father. You mean so much to me, Marinette, and I find more to like about you every single day. And I have for as long as I've known you."

"The feeling is mutual," replied Marinette. "But you knew that."

"We both kind of got a very big hint a few minutes ago," he blushed, "But you knew _that."_

"Yeah, I was there... It was, uh, _nice_ , I guess..." Marinette ventured, then laughed at the look on Adrien's face. "You know _very well_ that I'm kidding, and what every second of that meant to me!" she added, warmly. "All of the feelings that I was pouring into that..."

"Does it still count as 'taking it slow' if we were kissing like that by the end of our first date?" smiled Adrien.

" _I_ don't remember complaining at all," glowed Marinette.

"So, when you meet my father again on Thursday, I can say 'this is Marinette Dupain-Cheng, my very special friend...' or 'this is Marinette, one of the most talented young designers around,' or 'this is Marinette, who's one _heck_ of a kisser...'" Adrien continued.

" _Maybe_ we won't lead with that last one," Marinette replied. "But thank you, and _that_ feeling is mutual, too."

"...or 'this is Marinette Dupain-Cheng... my girlfriend.'"

* * *

Marinette took a breath and let that phrase sink in. "I was kind of hoping that would be one of the choices," she breathed.

"I don't think there's any doubt about it now... but some things ought to be said out loud to be sure, don't you think?" Adrien replied. "To make sure that it's what you want."

"And that it's what _you_ want," countered Marinette, being extra-cautious. "And that you're sure about that. I'd be unfair to you if I didn't say _right now_ that I know how Ladybug has been a big part of your life, too. If we do this, I have no problem with her staying close with you and spending time with you. One girlfriend... two good friends."

"I do want that, so I'm glad to hear you say that," said Adrien. "I'm... still working out just what I'm going to say to her. I would never want to hurt her... and I'm afraid that this _is_ going to hurt."

"Well... I can't speak for her, but I can say this," Marinette replied, knowing that this was delicate ground. "If it had gone the other way, if you were telling me right now that you'd picked Ladybug and that we'd just be good friends... would it hurt me? A little, yeah. But if I stayed close to you like we've become, if I was a bigger part of your life than I'd ever been before, and if I knew that _you_ were as happy as you could be... that someone like her would take good care of you... I'd be all right with that."

"Of course you would," managed Adrien, sounding like he was choking up again. _Yet another reason why you are the perfect choice..._

"...Adrien? Are you okay?" she asked, concerned.

"Marinette... I was thinking about asking you tonight, even before we stepped outside. I was standing in your hall bathroom, arguing with myself whether or not to do it," he admitted, his voice a little quivery. "I'm not going to lie to you and say that Ladybug isn't very, very special to me. And that even the _thought_ of her _wanting_ to date me blew my mind! And that I haven't had sleepless nights trying to decide what to do about the two of you."

"Some of that really _wasn't_ fair to you, I've realized. And I'm sorry about that," conceded Marinette.

"...Why would you be sorry?" asked Adrien, sounding confused. "Your heart wants what it wants. You can't control what Ladybug wants, right?"

"Well, of c-course not," Marinette covered for her near-slip. "We talk sometimes, but..."

"Look. Let me try to get to the point before I lose it, okay?" Adrien smiled. "It was very hard for me to make a decision. It was. But every time we spend time together, it's a little easier. Every time I see your smile and you look at me with those beautiful eyes of yours, it's a little easier. Every time you are so sweet and caring towards me, it's easier. And tonight..."

"...Yeah?"

"...t-tonight, when you said what you said to me and I realized what it truly meant, the last doubt went away. Ladybug _is_ very special to me, and she always will be. But she's not the one that I'm in love with the most."

* * *

"...Are _you_ okay, Marinette?" asked Adrien, his eyes wide.

"They're happy tears, I promise," Marinette replied, holding it together for the moment.

"Then let's make it official, okay?" he grinned. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng... will you-"

"Yes! Yes, I will," she burst out.

"Can I at least finish the sentence?" Adrien marveled, making her laugh out loud. "Will you be my girlfriend, Marinette?"

"Of _course_ I will. For as long as you'll have me."

The pair gazed at each other longingly over their smartphones...

...until Marinette broke the silence. _"EEEEEEEEEEE!_ I just want to _run right through this phone and kiss you right now!_ " she squealed. _OR transform and yo-yo right over there and then have to explain how _I_ ended up at his bedroom window BUT I ALMOST DON'T CARE!,_ her inner voice screamed in her head.

"I _know!_ I just want to..." _transform and land on your balcony RIGHT NOW and then transform back..._ "run right over and be with you! But in this weather, I've abused my bodyguard enough tonight."

"Take your vitamins before you come see me tomorrow morning. I'm just saying," flirted Marinette.

"And there's our next question. How do you want me to show you off tomorrow at school?" Adrien asked. "All at once? Limited viewing groups? A ticket system?"

"Show _me_ off? Honey, you've got it backwards. _I'm_ the lucky one here, who'll have to explain to everyone how she pulled off this miracle," she giggled back. "I know that the girls will be happy for us; they've been trying to help me ask you out for ages! About the only one who might cause a problem would be..."

"Let me talk with her first," Adrien jumped in. "Chloe is... complicated."

"That's one way to put it," grumbled Marinette.

"Do you think that anything she says can change my mind?" argued Adrien, pleasantly. "Because it can't. But the way that she was snapping at you earlier... I know it would probably feel good to rub her nose in it, but if I can keep the peace instead and keep her from causing a scene, I'd rather do that."

"...Trust me?" he added, watching Marinette's face on his phone screen, weighing those options.

"I do. And I know that's the better way to do it. Maybe just a _little_ nose-rubbing?" she smiled.

"I'll do my best. If she's still rude to you after that, fire away with my blessing," laughed Adrien. "But I'll feel better about it if I've at least tried first."

* * *

A tiny movement off to the side caught Adrien's attention.

"You're going to be talking to her for a while, right? I'll be right back," Plagg whispered.

Adrien nodded at him briefly, then dove back into his conversation with Marinette. Seeing that, Plagg took off to do some exploring, staying low to the floor in case he ran into anyone and would need to duck down through the floorboards.

 _Not that anyone should be around right now,_ he reasoned. _The big gorilla's usually in his room this time of night, and the rest of the staff's gone home by now. So let's see..._

He let the ambient sounds of the house guide his path until he ended up outside the door to Gabriel's section of the house. _Sounds like the secretary's in there talking with him. Or something. Ooh-la-la!_ he grinned. _Whatever it is, they're not going anywhere for a while._

 _Now, what the heck is it that I'm looking for, anyway?_ Plagg wondered to himself. _"Anything strange, out of the ordinary. Weird machinery." That's what Tikki was talking about back at Marinette's. So what does weird machinery look like, anyway?_

 _Maybe I'll know it when I see it._

 _And the first machine that I think I'll check is the refrigerator. Who knows what secrets might be lurking in there?_

* * *

Gabriel listened quietly as Nathalie related her story about Adrien's confrontation in the kitchen.

"So... the boy's in love. Or believes that he is, at least. I am not surprised all that much; when he goes after something, he rarely stops halfway. He has his mother's spirit in him," he mused, "and her strong emotional core. Most times, that serves him well."

He rotated his chair to the side, staring off into space as he pondered the new information. "I am somewhat surprised that she won out so _swiftly_ over Ladybug... but, then again, I recall how Adrien spoke of her at breakfast the other day. How _smitten_ he sounded even then... My nemesis is a formidable girl indeed, but so too, it seems, is Miss Dupain-Cheng." He laughed, gently, then said "I must be careful that she does not slay me with kindness when I meet her," partly to himself.

"So! Let us take stock of what we now know," he said, turning back towards Nathalie. "Adrien and Marinette had an emotional moment, and now share a far stronger bond. Marinette possesses both a strong desire to please Adrien and a remarkable capacity for self-sacrifice in doing so. Adrien has locked onto her with the intensity of a teenage boy's first love and his mother's protective nature. Several obvious paths that we might exploit. And if Ladybug's interest in him _was_ as strong as he had suspected..."

"He said nothing of having spoken with Ladybug. I must assume that such a conversation will be coming soon," noted Nathalie, looking uncomfortable. "He hasn't had time to figure that meeting out yet."

"A meeting with additional, delightful possibilities!" smiled Gabriel, wickedly. "That discussion should prove emotional for both of them, which might also be exploited. Ladybug may be strong enough to accept rejection, but if he breaks her heart, whether she admits it to him or not... imagine _that_ vulnerability waiting to be seized!"

"You might find out her secret identity, by searching for such a strong emotion as Hawkmoth when the time is right," Nathalie said, "Or even Akumatize Ladybug herself!"

"Indeed!" he grinned back. "Which would bring us our total victory in one stroke."

 _"Definitely_ something to strongly consider as your first priority," emphasized Nathalie.

Gabriel considered his assistant carefully. "You seem... _intent_ on directing me to target Ladybug. Is there a reason for that?" he asked, watching her reaction.

"Gabriel, I... I understand the gravity of the situation. You should do what has the most potential for bringing back Emilie," she parried.

"...But?"

Nathalie lowered her eyes. "Your son is truly happy right now. Happier than I think I've ever seen him," she replied. "I barely know the baker girl personally, but I've seen what she's done for him - and not just over these last few weeks. Adrien demonstrated to me tonight that Marinette has cared _deeply_ for him for a very long time. And his feelings in return are multiplying very, very fast."

She paused before continuing. "Just... tread lightly with them if you can, please? I'm weary of seeing Adrien in emotional pain, and I'd rather not see her hurt if you can help it."

"Are you going _soft_ on me, Nathalie Sancoeur?" marveled Gabriel, his face displaying obvious amusement.

"You can call it that if you like, though I'll disagree," Nathalie replied, undaunted. "You may rely on me to do what must be done; I am, after all, a professional. But somewhere beneath that, there's still a woman, who remembers what it's like to be young and confused and pining for someone she can't have. It would've been better for her to never win his heart if we end up ripping it away. And the fewer wounds this leaves on Adrien, the better for all of us in the long run."

"Well!" intoned Gabriel, his hands folding with his fingertips resting against each other. "I will add that into my considerations. Thank you, Nathalie; that is all for now."

* * *

As she left, Gabriel's face darkened somewhat, pondering what he'd just heard. _I do not wish to torture my son any more than she does. And this young woman, if she is even half as extraordinary as of how my son describes her, might have interesting possibilities with or without her heart in his pocket._

 _But Ladybug is an elusive target at best, and factors under my own roof will be far easier to manipulate than the wild card that Ladybug represents._

 _Eyes on the prize, Gabriel. Unlike Nathalie, you do not have the slightest leeway for squeamishness. The goal is nearly in hand, and time continues to slip away..._

* * *

Plagg floated back into Adrien's room, checking to see if the phone conversation was over yet. From what he could tell, it was a long way from that point. He listened from afar, picking up a few assorted fragments: figuring out how to tell their friends about their relationship, working out their daily schedules to spend more time together, something about a hamster...

 _Oh, he'll still be talking at the crack of dawn if I let him,_ grinned Plagg. _Lots more time for exploring._

He wandered aimlessly through the house until the sound of an opening door made him duck for cover. From behind a vase, he listened to Nathalie's footsteps until he was certain that she'd left Gabriel's office and returned to her own room, leaving him free to continue.

Looking around, he found himself in a somewhat familiar room. _Yeah... this is where that safe was, behind that painting of Adrien's mom,_ thought Plagg. _And that book was in there, the one that turned out to be the Guardians' Book of Lore!_

 _Huh. You know, maybe Tikki was right; we didn't think that through at the time, did we? There's something really weird about that. When Mr. Agreste got Akumatized into the Collector, we were so focused on getting the Book back to him and protecting OUR secrets that we never followed up on HIS._

 _Why... why would a fashion magnate from Paris own a priceless, one-of-a-kind collection of Miraculous information?_ he wondered.

Plagg floated through the wall and into the safe where he'd originally found the Book, then let out a frustrated grunt. _Well, this won't get me anywhere; it's pitch black in here. I have great night vision, but there needs to be at least a flicker of light. I should've brought a flashlight or something._ He felt around until he located a hard-bound volume that he was sure was the Book, then retreated back into the main room.

 _I could just pop the lock on the safe again... but that safe door's pretty heavy and Adrien's not here to close it for me. And I know that the Book's still there, so I don't really need to. I'll bring Tikki here on Thursday if I can._

 _Is there anything else weird around here?_

Plagg scanned the room, not seeing anything particularly out of place. He flitted from object to object, examining what appeared to be mundane office supplies and furniture, then ducked beneath the surface of the floor and floated around. _If something is hidden in here, I bet they didn't anticipate a snooper who could float through solid obj- HEY!_

He let out a yelp of surprise as he passed into an open space where he didn't expect one, a wide cylindrical tube with a metal shaft running down through the center of it.

 _Well, this is a weird-looking... whatever it is._

Plagg floated back up to the room, then down below again, examining the mechanism from all angles. _I think I get it,_ he thought. _It's, like, an elevator hidden in plain sight! I'm sure it is. Somewhere here there's a button or something, and then this lowers whatever's standing on it to... wherever. It clicks right into the floor so that if you don't know that it's there, you don't see it even if you're looking right at it._

 _A totally normal thing for a person to have in their house._

 _Now, I have no idea how to start this thing up... but I'm a Kwami, I don't _need_ to start it._

He zoomed down below again, then flew straight down the tube, following its path. _Let's see where it goes!_ he thought...

* * *

Adrien looked at at a nearby clock, then groaned. "I hate to say it, but have you realized what time it is?" he asked.

Marinette turned and looked at her own clock, then turned back to Adrien, looking surprised. "Wow! It's a lot later than I thought," she agreed. "You still have that Physics project to work on?"

"I should. Most of it's done, but I need to add some finishing touches to it... It's not due 'til Friday, but tomorrow could get hectic, and for some odd reason I don't think I'll get a lot done on Thursday night," grinned Adrien. "Something about my _girlfriend_ coming over for dinner that night."

"You can keep saying that all you want. I'll never get tired of hearing it," Marinette beamed.

Adrien admired her smile for a moment, then added, "We're _totally_ going to be one of those gooey kinds of couples, so romantic together that we make all our friends gag, aren't we?"

"You mean, all 'You hang up first' and _'I'm_ the lucky one' and 'I love _you_ bigger' and things like that?" teased Marinette. "That's the plan."

"Good. That sounds perfect to me. Can I let you go for now, and I'll see you in the morning?" asked Adrien.

"I'll be waiting. Unless this is all a dream, and if it is I'll still be dreaming," she smiled.

"Good night, Marinette..."

"Good night, Adrien."

There was a pause...

 _"You_ hang up first," giggled Marinette.

* * *

 _NOW what am I looking at?_ wondered Plagg.

 _Some kind of dome-shaped room, it feels like. It's pitch-black in here, too, except for some teeny-tiny bits of light from some kind of funky window over there. It's like an observatory, but I can't tell if there are any telescopes or things like that sitting in here unless I find a light switch on the wall somewhere._

Fumbling around in the dark, Plagg shuddered a little, despite himself. _What am I afraid of? Nothing in here can hurt _me_,_ he scolded himself. _It's just that the energy in this room is weird,_ he reasoned; _it's, like, a _really_ negative vibe. Like something really bad happened in here. Ghosts floating around haunting the place, or something. Whatever it is, it's got me on edge..._

 _Gabriel, what the heck did you d-AUUUUUGH!_

Plagg shuddered as he stumbled away from whatever it was that he'd just contacted. _Some kind of BUG! Two of them, I think, just touched me and flew away!_

 _Euuugh... yuck! If fumbling for the lights gets me covered in bugs,_ _screw this! I'll wait and come back with Tikki and a couple of flashlights. And maybe a can of bug spray... But for now I'm getting OUT OF HERE!_

He flew out of the room in disgust, intent on finding more hospitable territory. Adrien's room was generally devoid of bugs; that'd do nicely.

* * *

Eventually, after considerable negotiations took place, Marinette and Adrien managed to count to three and hang up their phones simultaneously. Adrien got up from his bed with a blissful facial expression and a warm feeling filling his soul.

 _This feels AMAZING,_ he grinned. _To have someone as special as Marinette feel this way about me... I don't care what she says, I'M the lucky one. It's not even close. And I'll have a very long time to show her just how blessed she makes me feel._

He closed his eyes, losing himself in their earlier embrace in his mind once more...

 _But as high as I'm flying right now... there is one thing that I _have_ to do. Right now, before this goes any further._

He walked over to his computer and started a new email. Drafts were started and discarded repeatedly, but most of them opened with the same sentiment:

 **Dear Ladybug,**

 **I really need to see you... soon.**

* * *

Marinette snuggled up in her bed, holding a pillow like it was a teddy bear. She imagined a certain blonde-haired teddy bear in its place and squeezed it tighter, knowing that holding the real thing once more was only hours away.

 _I can't believe that everything has worked out so perfectly!_ she thought to herself. _I've dreamed of this a million times... but did I ever really believe that it would actually happen?_

 _Adrien Agreste loves me._

 __My Adrien_ _ _loves me._

 _He held me, he kissed me, he asked me to be his... and if he could be mine._

 _Well, gosh, Adrien, I'll have to think about that for a little while... make my mind up, you know..._

She giggled aloud at that, drawing a knowing glance from Tikki across the room.

 _When all of this started... what I wanted most was to help Adrien any way I could. He looked so hurt when his father was mistreating him, no matter how well he thought he was hiding it, and I just couldn't leave him like that if I could do something about it. Then things happened the way that they did, and Nino told me about Adrien and Ladybug..._

 _I was so sure that Ladybug was the 'me' that he'd pick, if he picked either one of us that way. It was the only thing that made sense._

 _And I was fine with that! It's not like that wasn't still _really_ flattering. Because I'd still get to date him, and I'd be giving him what he wanted most of all, while still getting so much closer with him both ways._

 _Finally getting the courage to crack through his shell as myself felt_ __so_ good. And if I hadn't spent that time getting to know him as Ladybug, too, I don't know if I could've done it the way that I did._

 _Then the movie nights happened, and that _incredible_ song he wrote, and the dark room watching the storm together..._

 _Even with all the intimate times Adrien and I were enjoying, the talks we had, that day in detention, and that look in his eyes whenever I was near... I still wouldn't have blamed him at all if he'd preferred the red-and-black version. That was so intense for both of us, and he'd longed for Ladybug for so long._

 _So for him to fall for _me_, and feel that so strongly that it overwhelmed even his feelings for LADYBUG..._

A happy tear welled up once more, and she wiped it away without opening her eyes fully.

 _I am _so_ lucky. And I'll prove that to him every day. I'll treat him so well that he won't even know what hit him,_ she giggled quietly.

In the background, her computer binged with an incoming email sound, but she was too close to deep sleep to react to it.

 _Sweetest dreams, Adrien,_ she wished from afar...

 _...and I'll do everything I can to make yours come true._

 _Like mine just did tonight._

* * *

Adrien Agreste pulled his own covers up over his body and settled down for his own evening's rest. A few jitters in his stomach persisted, but for the most part he was sure they were from the excitement of the evening.

"Plagg, are you around?" he asked in a low voice, but got no response.

 _Must be out roaming the house,_ he figured. _As long as Father doesn't see him, and he's got plenty of practice at that. Probably emptying all the cheese from the fridge._

 _I wonder who they think eats all that Camembert, or where it goes? Or what I'm actually doing with it? If I ate that much of it, I'd probably stink like, well, Plagg does sometimes... and somehow I suspect that Father would mention that very loudly, even if everyone else was too polite to say._

 _He'll be back in the morning, and I'll see what he thinks then. I know that he approves of Marinette, but I want to make sure I'm doing the right things with Ladybug, too. This is really thin ice I'm treading on. If Ladybug was sincere when she said those things to me, and I'm pretty sure that she was, I think it can work out but I need to say just the right things to spare her feelings as best I can._ _I have to make sure that she'll want to stay my friend._

 _I mean, what Ladybug and I had wasn't a spur-of-the-moment thing. She'd told me that she'd wanted that for a very long time, and..._

 _..._

 _...Wait._

 _...WAIT a minute, now._

A voice in his mind chose that moment to echo in his ears, clear as a church bell ringing on a Sunday morning. It was a soft whisper in his ear on a dark and stormy night, at a moment where he was running on full emotional overload, adrenaline pumping through his body... but he'd heard it. He knew that he had.

"The boy that I'd had my heart set on? It's you. It... always was," Ladybug had whispered to him.

 _Did she realize that she'd said that to him? What it implied?_

 _Think about that. Think_ _HARD,_ his subconscious whispered, insistently.

He flashed back to their first heart-to-heart talk, that night in the park...

"There is someone that I'm crazy about, yes," Ladybug had said, looking nervous. "Someone I know with my mask off. And maybe someday that'll work out like I hope it will."

 _With her mask off._

 _Do the math, already. You're right on the_ edge, he thought, more nervous by the second.

 _Now that day in the school bathroom..._

"He is... we've been getting closer, very gradually. We're definitely friends," Ladybug had said of her crush.

* * *

Adrien sat straight up in bed, with a loud gasp escaping his lips.

 _It's not possible. It just can't be._

 _HOW?!_

He stood up, not even thinking about what he was doing. He had other things on his mind right then.

 _Ladybug knows me as _her true self_. She's a friend of mine. She's wanted to know me, to date me, for a very long time. Her words, not mine._

 _Much like someone else I know, a dear friend of mine with dark pigtails and blue eyes, who had been crushing on me all year and was just as worried about me when I was at my lowest._

 _I don't have a lot of friends my own age. So there are only so many people that she could be._

 _There's only _one_ person that she could be._

 _Marinette had fallen for me... and so had Ladybug._

 _Ladybug wanted to date me... just like Marinette did._

 _And now..._

The dreams that he'd been having floated before his mind's eye... Marinette and Ladybug, shifting back and forth, as if... as if...

 _...IS she?_

* * *

Plagg flew back into Adrien's room at high speed, ready to complain about the bug-infested basement... but he stopped on a dime. Adrien had a look on his face that was unmistakably not normal for him, as if reality had just whacked him upside the head with a frying pan.

"...You okay, kid?" he asked Adrien, cautiously.

"I don't know," Adrien replied. "I just... I just had a moment where a lot of things... they all added up."

"Okay..." Plagg said, looking confused. "So what does _that_ mean? What do you think that you... Adrien?"

He watched as Adrien padded across the floor of his room to his computer and called up a web browser.

"I should have known, Plagg. I don't think two different people on this planet could both be that caring and selfless and lovable," Adrien mumbled. "The scent of cinnamon when they were close to me. The way that they've both been watching over me, so much longer than I'd realized. The way that I've been so drawn to _both_ of them. The things that they both said to me. Those _kisses_ tonight. It's all... so familiar now..."

 _Uh-oh,_ thought Plagg. _I think we have a problem._

Adrien's fingers worked the keyboard and mouse, and two images appeared. The left one was from Marinette's Instagram page, a selfie that she'd taken some time in the fall. The right one was a news photo from the LadyBlog, showing Ladybug smiling for the camera.

He gave Plagg a meaningful look, daring Plagg to comment; Plagg chose to say nothing out loud.

"All this time, Plagg. I've been searching for my lady _all this time_ ," Adrien half-whispered. He opened up a photo-editing program and copied the two pictures into it, side-by-side.

"Adrien?" Plagg said, very quietly. "Listen to me. Think about what it is that you're about to do. You can't un-see certain things."

Plagg watched as Adrien isolated Ladybug's mask on the news photo, then dragged it across and copied it over Marinette's eyes on the left.

"I've been the biggest idiot on Earth, Plagg," mumbled Adrien, in a shaky voice. "Because all this time... right under my nose... I couldn't see what should've been obvious..."

Plagg saw Adrien's fingers shake as the click-and-drag continued, this time from the neck down, bringing the top of Ladybug's costume across.

He sighed, preparing himself for what would come next, as Adrien compared two nearly identical pictures of Ladybug on his screen...

...and as Adrien slumped down onto his keyboard, collapsing in a trembling heap.

* * *

Next time:

* A wish that wishes didn't exist.

* "You _have_ to stay positive. You don't have that _option_ any more."

* _"She_ is not the problem here. She never was, in any way."

* All roads lead to one destination... if the GPS is accurate.

* _"You're_ not... wait. Who the heck ARE you?"

* "I'm... trying to make sense of this. That may not be possible."

* What's the record for the most secrets blown to shreds in thirty seconds?

* A scared kitten, found on a doorstep, needing shelter.


	15. Being Who You Need Me To Be

Someone To Watch Over Me, Chapter 15: Being Who You Need Me To Be

* * *

Plagg watched his young charge from about a meter away, slumped over his computer keyboard, breathing heavily.

 _Well, Adrien's frontal lobe has stopped working,_ he thought. _That's no surprise with what he just figured out._

He turned in circles, watching all corners of the room for approaching Akumas, and was relieved to see none fluttering Adrien's way. _Hawkmoth's not a machine,_ Plagg reasoned; _he's not scanning Paris 24/7. Otherwise, we might be in a whole lot of trouble right now._

 _I mean, we _are_ in trouble now... it's just a matter of how much it's fixable._

 _Let's see what kind of steel the kid has in him._

Tactfully, he gave Adrien a couple of minutes to recover before approaching him. "...Adrien?" he asked, in a quiet voice.

The blonde head raised itself up slightly. "...yeah, Plagg, I'm here," Adrien mumbled.

"Are you... um... holding it together? Grunt twice for yes. We need to talk about this, once you're able."

Adrien turned his head and looked at Plagg, a little woozily. "I can talk. I'm not sure that I can _move_... but I can talk," he managed.

Plagg studied Adrien for a moment, then asked, "Do you need a change of underwear? I can go fetch you one."

"I do not... thank you very much," he half-smiled, "though I think I understand why you would joke about that right now."

"Who's joking?" asked Plagg, with a straight face.

* * *

Adrien cleared his screen of his handiwork, lest someone walk in and wonder why he'd been studying two pictures of Ladybug at two in the morning in his underwear, and stumbled back over to his bed. He sat up, cross-legged, knowing that the bed wouldn't be used for sleep any time soon.

"Okay, let's get through the basic stuff first. This is not my first time having to do this," Plagg noted. _"Yes,_ I knew. Yes, I knew a long time ago. _No,_ I couldn't have just told you, _ever._ Kwamis have mystic safeguards built into them; like, I can't say your name to any Kwami other than Tikki."

"You can't?" wondered Adrien, snapping out of his state of shock slightly. "What happens if you try?"

"Bubbles come out of my mouth instead. I shouldn't even be able to talk about you with _Tik_ _ki,_ but, well, she and I are the most powerful, we can bend the rules of the spell a little," laughed Plagg. "But if I'd just come out and said 'Marinette is Ladybug' to you before you knew it yourself, magical backlash would've turned me into a Funko Pop. At _best_. I might've spent a century or two as Master Fu's toilet paper dispenser. I couldn't tell you, _ever_ , until you found it out on your own."

To Adrien's wide-eyed stare, he added, "I mean, I _hinted_ at it a few hundred times... as best I could, anyway. But you had to see her truth for yourself."

"So, it _is_ true... I'm _not_ crazy... _Wow!_ This changes... this changes _everything_..." Adrien stammered, clasping his head in his hands. "What am I going to... wow!"

"Uh-huh; _everything._ And we need to talk about this _now_ before you see her again in either form. You need a clear head and a game plan, Adrien, or everything you've worked for could go boom," Plagg declared. "So much depends on what you do next."

Adrien stared at him for a moment. "This is as serious as I've ever seen you, Plagg..." he said.

"I have to be. And you _have_ to be strong for me, Adrien! You can't collapse on me now; you _have_ to stay positive. You don't have that option any more," insisted Plagg. "So let's talk this through, okay? Man-to-Kwami. Get a cold drink or something if you need to before we start."

"I'm as good as I'm going to get right now," Adrien replied, gathering his willpower. "Let's do this."

* * *

"Okay," Plagg began. "Right off the bat, tell me how you're feeling. Gut reaction. What thoughts are in your head right now?"

"I am... my brain is going in a lot of directions," Adrien managed. "Like, I'm replaying a hundred different memories all at once. Things Ladybug said months ago, conversations with Marinette on her balcony, things from school, times that she disappeared when an Akuma showed up... Plagg, I don't know how I didn't realize things sooner! She was _right there_ next to me the whole time, and I didn't... How _dumb_ can one person be?"

"You're not dumb, Adrien. Remember what I said to you the day of Clara Nightingale's video shoot? People are blind. Well, you're a people too," said Plagg, at least somewhat reassuringly. "Marinette did a good job of covering her own tracks all that time, just like you did. You had a feeling deep down, whether you could say it out loud or not; you even called her your 'everyday Ladybug' at the picnic, and got a kiss for saying it, right? She was special to you all along."

Adrien took that in as Plagg continued. "Now, the thing is, you had spots in your eyes until that day in the library, when Marinette pulled you aside to ask how she could help with your problems. After she yoinked that Akuma away from your face, she was so worried about you; she watched you like a hawk as herself AND as Ladybug. Good thing, too, 'cause you needed it! But that made you look at Marinette differently, and things went from there, and here you are now."

"Yeah..." Adrien agreed. "It's like... not knowing helped me fall in love with her the _right_ way. With the girl, not the idea." He thought for a moment, then added, "Okay, Plagg; now I know _her_ big secret. Do you know if she knows _mine?"_

"Not that I know of," Plagg said. "Tikki and I talk about you two fairly often, and she's never brought that up. _Tikki_ knows, of course, but Marinette doesn't." To Adrien's questioning glance, he added, "Kwamis can fly through walls, remember? She'll sneak over into your messenger bag at school sometimes, or we'll duck down through the floor if we need more privacy than that. It's convenient that you two are side-by-side several days a week."

Adrien's face went a bit dreamy. _Ladybug sits behind me in my literature class. That's a thing that's actually happening. That's real!_

 _The sweetest girl I know who isn't Ladybug, the girl I've fallen for so hard, who reminds me so much of Ladybug... _really is_ Ladybug._

 _I've wondered about the girl behind the mask for months, dying to know more about her. Turns out that I already know what color shoes she wears, who her favorite rock star is, how she spends her spare time, what she dreams about, how she kisses... how she kisses _without_ her mask... how she..._

"Ahem," Plagg coughed. "Are we focusing here?"

"Y-yeah, I'm here, Plagg. I'm just thinking through a lot of aspects of this," Adrien replied, nervously. "Now that I know, should I tell her _my_ secret?" asked Adrien. "That I'm Chat Noir?"

Plagg fell silent.

* * *

"Think _long and hard_ before you do that, Adrien," Plagg finally replied. "That has very, very big implications, both as your partner and as your girlfriend."

Adrien considered the possibilities. "Well, it _could_ be so much easier on both of us if we knew each other's identities. We could cover for each other when we have to escape and transform, for instance..."

"More basic than that," insisted Plagg. "This is why _we're_ talking before you talk with her. _Either_ of her. What did she tell you that night in the park, when she told you how she really feels about Chat Noir?"

All at once, Adrien turned pale. "That... she could never date Chat Noir as long as she's Ladybug," he muttered. "That it's impossible, because of all the secret identity implications. She's terrified of what that could lead to if an Akuma got its hooks into one of us."

 _Oh, _crap_. Marinette and I just got started... are we doomed _already?__

"And she might be right," Plagg said. "Avoiding knowing is more of a judgment call than an absolute rule; knowing has happened in the past. And sometimes it's gone well for a while; we've even had married couples. But sometimes it's gone _really, really badly_. She's right to be worried about what might happen, because I could tell you stories that would curl your spine about bad breakups, the end of partnerships, Guardians having to take a Miraculous back..."

"Yeah. I don't know that I can change her mind about that, especially after all the times I've thrown myself at her as Chat and been shot down. Maybe I don't _want_ her thinking that her new boyfriend can act like Chat does sometimes..." worried Adrien.

"Don't go too far with that thinking, now. Ladybug thinks that Chat Noir is _wonderful_. Just not dating material, for two reasons. One is the Miraculous; the other is that _you_ exist," Plagg reassured him.

"...That's comforting, I think," Adrien smiled, then returned to a sober expression. "But now she _is_ dating Chat Noir and she doesn't know it. That just doesn't feel right to me, with as much as that concept worries her."

"You were dating _Ladybug_ and you didn't know it, right?" argued Plagg. "I mean, you were almost dating Ladybug _openly_ , and then you did get serious with Marinette, and she didn't tell you, 'Oh, by the way...'"

"That's true," mused Adrien. "At least she hasn't yet."

"Look. When Ladybug was flirting with you, you had the same situation going on," Plagg continued. "And you worried about it then, too. 'Ladybug's dating Chat and that's lying to her!' And her big worry was that if she got Akumatized, she'd have knowledge that she shouldn't. Well, she doesn't have that knowledge yet. _You_ do - so like I said, you have to be _extra-careful_ from now on, because you _can't_ get Akumatized knowing what you know, that'd give away _both_ your identities - and you'll have to decide whether or not to make her vulnerable like that. For now, that's in your control. Like you told Marinette, just knowing is a huge responsibility."

"And when I hinted at telling Marinette, she wanted no part of that," said Adrien, working through the logic. "And now I know _why_ she was so opposed to that, _and_ why she kept her two dating lives with me separate... and it makes even more sense." He looked somewhat wistful, adding, "I wish... I wish she didn't feel so adamant that she can _never_ date Chat Noir, but I have to respect those wishes. As a friend, as a girlfriend, as a partner, as a person. I'll have to keep my own two lives as separate as I can... which isn't anything new for me."

"But..." he continued, his face becoming troubled again. "She doesn't know that I know _hers._ Even if I keep my own secret hidden, should I tell her _that?_ "

* * *

Plagg wiped his tiny brow. "That... is actually a _very good_ question _,"_ he replied, "and there are a couple of ways to think about that. First off, how much do you want to?"

"I hate the idea of hiding anything from her. As Marinette _or_ as Ladybug. I mean, I have one thing that I _have to_ hide - we just went over that - and I think I'm okay with that for everyone's own good," Adrien worried. "Beyond that? Marinette hates lies and liars so much. And lying by omission kind of counts."

"It does. But it's also something that she really _wants_ to stay hidden. She was flirting with you as Marinette _and_ flirting with you as Ladybug and she didn't tell you then, did she?" replied Plagg.

"That's right, she didn't..." Adrien said, and his face lit up with realizations.

 _So all that time, I was sweating it out because I thought one or the other would get hurt,_ he thought, _and if she'd just _told_ me at some point, things could've been so much easier..._

 _No, I can't think like that. This _is_ Ladybug we're talking about. She _couldn't_ tell me. But she came closer to telling me than she has with anyone else - even Chat Noir. And I'm very glad that I had the chance to get closer to Marinette _without_ knowing her secret._ _In the end, that's the 'side' of her that I fell for the hardest!_

"She really _was_ flirting with me both ways! And all the while, Marinette kept saying, 'if you end up with Ladybug, I'm okay with that,' and Ladybug said the same thing about Marinette..." he said. "And I found that so hard to comprehend, because I could see the longing in _both_ sets of eyes... but _now!"_

"Uh-huh. She did it again," Plagg grinned. "She wanted to be close to you both ways, because you were each getting so much out of _both_ of your relationships, but she wanted _you_ to pick the side of her that you felt more romantic about."

"More worried about my feelings than her own..." Adrien smiled, becoming a bit choked up again. "That's my Marinette."

"She has been yours for a very long time," said Plagg, gently. "Yours for the asking, anyway. Now, at least you know that, and it's mutual. So you can go a couple of ways here... You could tell her, as gently as you can, that you figured it out; I'm not going to tell you how she'll react to that, because I really don't know. I don't think that she'd break things off with you because of _that,_ if that's a worry, but she might have some major panic over that."

"I could see her eyes bugging out of her head," agreed Adrien. "I _do_ remember her saying that I was the kind of guy she wished she could share those things with, that day on my couch. I could be giving her that opportunity to let me be that special someone, and I kind of think that I _am_ her special someone now. Or... I could just freak her out by saying it and cause a bunch of problems."

"You two have been an official couple for what, a few hours now? That's a _lot_ to drop on her on your second day. Just saying," Plagg ventured. "And that brings up option two: _don't_ tell her that you know. And I agree with you that it might not feel right to you in some ways, but it's also keeping things the way that she seems to want them."

"Not entirely, is it?" Adrien retorted. "She wants nobody but the Kwamis and Master Fu to know that she's Ladybug. And that's not true any more." He paused, adding, "Oh, man. What is _Master Fu_ going to say?"

"Fu? That, you'll have to ask him. As far as Marinette knows, it is still true. And if you keep her secret like a good boyfriend would, and tell _nobody_ \- not her, not Nino, not your father, not the guy who sells ice cream on the bridge with all the locks on it - the effect is the same."

"Hmmm." Adrien looked less than completely convinced.

"Okay, then, option three: wait and see for now. You mailed Ladybug asking to meet with her, right? Maybe she'll tell _you_ then. Maybe she'll hint about it. Maybe she'll keep it as secret as she can. Follow her lead and see what she does. You can always tell her in a few days, a week, a month if you find yourself needing to do that."

"...That's possible," Adrien conceded. "I can go that way for now. I'd rather do what's best for her, and she knows what that is better than I do."

 _Though I think I do know what I _have to do_ eventually,_ he thought with a grimace. _But it's not something that Plagg can know yet._

* * *

"All right. Now, you just found out the biggest secret in all of Paris. You're going to get up in the morning and do what?" asked Plagg, still looking anxious.

"I'm going to go over to Marinette's house and walk her to school, obviously," Adrien said.

"You left out the 'take ten steps from the front door and neck like crazed weasels in mating season' part, but maybe that was just assumed."

"Do weasels even _have_ a mating season?" wondered Adrien.

"That's beside the point. What's your plan?" insisted Plagg.

"Well," he replied with a grin, "I'm going to go where I want to be more than anywhere else in the world; next to Marinette. The weasels thing _may well happen,_ but that's just a guess on my part. We're going to school, we'll watch everyone but Chloé congratulate us, I'll talk Chloé down off the ledge, and I'll hope that Ladybug replies soon so that we can meet. Now, um... what I'll have to say to Ladybug when I _do_ meet her, I think that one click-and-drag over there just sent that script right out the window... but I'll think on that before it happens."

"And after that?"

"I'm still figuring that out. My _whole world_ just got rocked, like, ten minutes ago, so I'm improvising. But what I _won't_ do," Adrien said, "is freak out about Ladybug and get myself or anyone else Akumatized, or throw it right in Marinette's face that I know and make things weird."

"And why are you not going to freak out?" asked Plagg, looking a bit happier.

"Because what I just learned might change my entire life... but it doesn't change _her._ _She_ is not the problem here. She never was, in any way." Adrien stood up and gave Plagg a determined look, his voice steady. "I'm going to do what I do every time I see her as Chat Noir, and what I _should've_ been doing every day as Adrien."

"I'm going to fall for her all over again," he smiled.

* * *

Morning came soon after, as it typically did, and this one brought with it an excited and particularly determined young man as soon as sunlight touched his windows.

"Aaargh," grumbled Plagg, roused by Adrien's sound and movement. "You _do_ know that school starts at the same time as always, right?"

"Uh-huh," Adrien replied. "But I want to make sure everything goes just right today."

"Hmmph. Did you get _any_ sleep last night?" asked Plagg.

"Some, I promise."

Adrien smiled to himself at that, then appeared deeply lost in thought.

 _That's not a lie, I did... eventually. I had some heavy thinking to do, though, and I think I know what my game plan is._

 _Paris needs its Ladybug... and Ladybug needs her Chat Noir._ _She protects us all and Chat protects her._ _That hasn't changed._

 _Marinette, in or out of costume, can't date Chat Noir. And I'm Chat Noir. But she loves me... and I love her. THAT'S not going to change, either._

 _So how do I reconcile all of that?_

 _If I tell Marinette that I'm Chat Noir, or if she finds out on her own, that's it; it's over. Unless she has a dramatic change of heart, but I doubt that very much. Her sense of responsibility is_ __so_ strong. Maybe we can still be friends - I sure hope so! - but it'd break both our hearts to do that after we finally found each other like this._

 _If I don't tell her that I'm Chat Noir, and our relationship progresses, but _then_ she finds out about my Miraculous... same deal, plus she could be really angry that I was hiding it from her. I mean, she would've been hiding her secret from ME, too, so it's not like she'd have too much room to talk... and she might get _why_ I kept it secret... but it's hard to see that ending too well, either._

 _If we both keep our secrets safe and just keep things like they are now, that could go well indefinitely. Or... one of us could slip up at any time, and then we're dealing with it all at once instead of in a controlled time and place._

 _It's a risk, but at least in the short term, it gives us both what we want..._

 _But Plagg is right. I can't un-see what I saw or forget what I now know. The can is open; the worms can't go back in, and I'll accept those consequences. And, sooner or later, one of us _will_ slip. Or something will happen to expose what I know or who I am, and then we go for a ride in a way that wouldn't happen if I hadn't figured this out._

He cringed, weighing some conflicting emotions. _But it's not just _my_ fault! I mean, I figured it out, but only because of what she'd told me..._

 _I wasn't poking and prodding at her to learn everything I could about her. I have _wanted_ to do that once in a while, but I've held back from that. I've been on the other side of a door as her transformation ran out... and I left the door closed._ _She's been vulnerable around me so many times..._

 _...and in this last month or so, more than ever._

 _She's shared her real self with me, a little at a time. She didn't have to do that. She did that to help _me_ when I was in need. In costume and out._

 _And that's a trust that I can never betray, even if I wanted to. ESPECIALLY now._

 _So what does this all add up to?_

* * *

"Are you okay, Adrien?" Plagg asked, warily. "You look troubled."

"I'm good, Plagg. I'm just thinking something out."

 _I _know_ what it all adds up to. All roads are leading me to the same place. If I want Maribug in my life - hah! I just thought of that, that's so cute!_

 _Concentrate, Adrien. So much depends on how you handle this._

 _She would sacrifice anything for you. Not just for you - for anyone who needs Ladybug OR Marinette - but _especially_ for you. So you need to be just as committed to her happiness, her safety, her needs..._

 _...or you don't deserve her._

Adrien took a deep breath. "I think I smell quiche down there, Plagg. Is that cheesy enough for your oh-so-refined palate?"

"I'm willing to try it if you are," the Kwami intoned. "I don't know what that is, but if cheese is involved, I'm game." He floated around the room, sniffing the air, as Adrien gathered some things into his messenger bag. "You ready for today, Adrien?"

"If I'll be with Marinette? Always," smiled Adrien, as Plagg zipped into Adrien's shirt pocket.

 _No matter what._

* * *

Adrien stepped into the main dining room for breakfast, and was only mildly surprised to find someone there waiting for him. _This is starting to become habitual_ , he thought.

"Hello, Father," Adrien greeted him, pulling up a chair across from where Gabriel was finishing up a plate of eggs benedict and fruit.

"Ah, hello, Adrien!" replied Gabriel, with a pleasant expression. "I understand that congratulations are in order! I wanted to be sure and deliver them personally."

"Thank you," replied Adrien, gracefully. "You spoke with Nathalie, I presume?"

"Indeed. The word 'girlfriend' was used, approvingly. She expressed mild surprise at the speed of your decision, but none at all at whom you chose," Gabriel grinned. "She has mentioned to me, more than once, that you might be the only one unaware of the depths of your feelings for young Marinette. I congratulate you on reaching a fuller awareness."

"Th-thank you again, I think," smiled Adrien, looking slightly uneasy. "An interesting perspective. Was it _really_ that obvious?" he wondered. "I feel like a bit of a fool, having slept right through her interest in me for so long."

"These things can happen. I was not the smoothest with your mother for quite some time, I will admit," handwaved Gabriel. "Regardless, I look forward to meeting your young lady properly. Tomorrow night, correct?"

"Correct," said Adrien.

"Do you have any special requests for the evening? A particular entree, music, activities?" his father asked. "Speak and I shall provide."

"No, no, nothing dramatic," Adrien assured him. "Last night was a quiet family supper together, and I thought that was a perfect way to get to know her family better. Her parents are just _so_ nice! I'd like something like that here, if we can. I can guarantee that wealth doesn't impress Marinette, so I don't want to try to overwhelm her with excess."

"Understood, and agreed. But, still, could you find out any preferences of hers that you can today? Michel can fine-tune the menu accordingly. We will save culinary fireworks for another time, but I would not want to, for example, present a three-course seafood ensemble and discover that she does not care for that cuisine, or that she is allergic to shellfish."

"That does make sense. I'll be sure to ask her," smiled Adrien. "And speaking of food, you simply _must_ try one of the tartlets I brought back before the Gorilla eats them all! They were absolutely amazing."

"I will make a point of that! Their Boulangerie's reputation is well-deserved. By the way... have you spoken with your _scarlet_ lady friend yet?" inquired Gabriel.

"Scarlet lady?" Adrien replied. "I... wouldn't call her that; I'm not sure why, but for some reason that name just doesn't seem to fit the Ladybug that I know. And, no, I haven't had time to... though I am making arrangements. She is most _definitely_ someone with whom I'll want to stay close, so I'll choose my words carefully."

To his father's questioning glance, he continued, "I don't care what Nathalie said; she may well have been right about Marinette and I, but it was _still_ not an easy decision."

"I would imagine not," Gabriel replied, "and yet it is one that you made fairly quickly. Color me intrigued. What tipped the balance, if I may ask?"

"You may," Adrien said, scrambling for the right words. "It wasn't anything that Ladybug did wrong, believe me; she is an absolute sweetheart and she'll always be special to me. Both of them were adamant that this wasn't a catfight waiting to happen; each insisted that I give the other a fair chance."

"Oh?" Gabriel asked, an eyebrow raising. "Do they know each other personally?"

Adrien did his best not to turn purple, given his recent revelation. "You... might say that," he managed. "Like I said before, out of costume I have no idea whom Ladybug knows and whom she doesn't. I know that they've crossed paths a few times, in the wake of one Akuma or another, and they're at least sociably friendly."

"I see," said his father, taking mental notes.

"So I suppose that some of it came down to that I know Marinette much more personally than I know Ladybug. By her very nature, there's a lot about herself that Ladybug simply can't share, as much as she might want to... and that's not her fault, but it makes it tough for her to get close to people. Marinette has been right there by my side all year, growing on me all the while... and Nathalie is right, some of that right under my oblivious nose... and when we had a couple of the right kind of moments together, she was irresistible," smiled Adrien, a little sheepishly. "And I hope that she'll grow on you the same way, Father."

"I imagine that she shall," Gabriel grinned. "But I am holding you up right now, and business beckons. Do tell her that I am passing on a morning 'Hello,' please?" he added, as he stood up from his chair.

 _I imagine that we will be seeing quite a bit of Marinette in the near future,_ he thought, as he exited the room. _Particularly during a certain ritual, if I play my cards just right, and the winning combination I shall play is nearly complete._

* * *

On the way to school, Adrien signaled the Gorilla as they passed through one of the shopping districts.

"Can you pull over for just a second?" Adrien asked. "I promise that I won't be long, I just need to pick up a little something for someone. You know."

He pointed towards a roadside stand. As the Gorilla's gaze followed in that direction, his look of mild annoyance shifted to a satisfied smile, and he flicked on his turn signal.

As Adrien hopped out of the car, the Gorilla grunted lightly towards him and tapped his own left wrist, pointedly.

"I know, I know, this time you _do_ mean 'we're going to be late.' I'll be fast," Adrien assured him.

He was true to his word; within a minute, Adrien was back in the car with purchase in hand, and the Gorilla swerved back into morning traffic.

* * *

Tom kept an eye on the front door of the bakery as he greeted and helped his morning customers. As he expected, his daughter's favorite customer by far was right on time.

"Good morning, Mr. Dupain," called Adrien as he entered.

"Good morning, Adrien. And it's Tom," he smiled back. "Having a good morning?"

"So far. Traffic wasn't too bad coming over," Adrien replied.

"A little bird told me that you had a very good _evening,_ as well," Tom grinned.

Adrien blushed, but held his ground. "I can't remember ever having a better one," he said, "and not just how it ended, either. I haven't felt like... at my house, we don't exactly have a lot of what I'd call 'family time.' You and Mrs. Cheng went out of your way to make me feel completely welcome in your home, and that meant quite a lot to me."

"Good! That was our intent," replied Tom. "I'm a pretty good judge of character, I think, and Sabine even more so. Just watching the two of you together, well... we have no doubt that you're sincere about each other, and that Marinette will be in very good hands when she's with you."

"I will always do my best..." began Adrien.

"Just not _too_ much with those hands," Tom grinned, slyly.

Now Adrien was crimson. "I, um... promise, Sir," he stammered. "On that kind of subject, are there any house rules for visitation that I should be aware of? I don't want to overstep."

"Oh, I don't think so, not yet... son, the look on your face right now!" laughed Tom. "You have to understand, I've been waiting for fourteen years to play Protective Dad like this with her first gentleman caller. Relax, please!" He watched Adrien regain some amount of poise and added, "Rule one is the only rule for now; be smart. You're both smart enough to have an idea of what's appropriate and what isn't. We won't hover over you two unless it turns out that we need to. Deal?"

"Deal, Mr. Du... Tom," Adrien replied, watching Tom's smile widen as Adrien lessened his formality.

Sabine ducked her head through the kitchen door at that moment, waving at Adrien, who waved back. "Oh, hello, Adrien! Congratulations! Marinette should be down in just a minute," she called, and then darted back inside, tending to the ovens.

"So... what do you two have in mind for tomorrow evening?" Tom asked, pleasantly.

"Something pretty similar to last night," said Adrien. "I can't wait for my father to meet Marinette properly, especially since I'm hoping that _he'll_ be seeing quite a lot of her around the house. I've told him quite a bit about her already, including her design skills... though he knew about those already, after I wore her derby hat on the runway."

"I'm sure that she'll appreciate that. Agreste always was one of the design houses she'd had in mind to try out for, once she reached that age..." began Tom, then trailed off with a smile as he watched Adrien's attention jump abruptly to the stairwell. "But we can talk about that another time," he added, lightly.

* * *

Light footsteps on the stairs seized Adrien's brain cells without even trying, despite his best efforts to remain a polite conversationalist.

His eyes locked onto the stairwell, his mind's eye imagining each element as it arrived...

 _Light pink ballet flats. Pretty calves and ankles next to them. I'd know them anywhere. Have I ever complimented her ankles before? Maybe I should._

 _Pink capris, with a white rolled-up cuff at the bottom of each leg. Does she roll them up herself or are they sewn like that? I'll have to peek, I'm not entirely sure._

 _A white blouse, with a pink floral design on it. A dark blazer, also rolled up at the sleeves, with pink polka dots on white as the lining. A smart choice; the dark color gives her a bit of contrast._

 _So far, I'm right on everything,_ he grinned, as Marinette's figure began to emerge in the stairwell.

 _A pair of pigtails, her hair as dark as midnight._

 _Those cute little freckles across her nose. It took me a while to notice those, but once I did, I couldn't forget them._

 _Just a touch of eyeliner. Dark earrings - HEY! I'll bet... of course! Just like my ring disguises itself. She's been wearing her Miraculous to class every day and no one was the wiser!_

 _Look at me, Mr. Observant. I'd memorized every detail about Marinette's favorite look and even I'd never caught on to that before. Though that's kind of the point of the magical disguise, isn't it?_

 _And those eyes... those amazing bluebell eyes... maybe the most expressive, emotional eyes I've ever seen... even when there is a mask around them,_ he smiled. _Eyes that shine like a morning sunrise when she's happy. Eyes deep enough for me to gaze into for hours and never reach the bottom._

 _...And there they are._

* * *

As Marinette cleared the last step, she stood frozen in place, her gaze locked onto Adrien's, a radiant smile on her face...

...and all at once, she was running towards him, unaware of anyone or anything else around her. Adrien scooped her up in his arms as she reached him, her giggle filling the air as he lifted her slightly, rotating her around him, then lowering her back to a standing position, forehead-to-forehead, huge grins on both faces.

"Good morning to you, too," Tom quipped from behind one of the counters.

An embarrassed laugh burst out of Marinette, but she was too happy in the moment to care very much about dignity. "Good morning, Daddy," she beamed, giving Adrien a light _hold that pose_ tap on the end of his nose, then walking over to her father and hugging him as well.

"We, uh, kind of made things official over the phone last night..." explained Marinette.

"Not on our front step?" grinned Tom.

"Okay, we _said the words out loud_ over the phone," glowed Marinette, with _Uh-huh, he saw that last night_ running through her brain. "So this is our first time together as boyfriend and girlfriend and I'm just a _little_ excited."

"And you should be," smiled Sabine, emerging from the kitchen. "Now, we're not going to get a phone call from your school today, are we? Complaining that you're each due in different classrooms but your hands refuse to let go?"

"I'm pretty sure that we can manage, Mrs. Cheng," Adrien replied. "I like to think that we'll have a very long time for that kind of closeness. We don't have to use it all up on the first day." Reaching into his messenger bag, he added, "But since it _is_ our first day officially together..."

Marinette's eyes widened as she watched Adrien retrieve a pair of red roses, extending them towards her, and her toes curled inside her shoes when he smiled, "For you, Marinette."

* * *

A quiet "...Well played!" from Tom was barely heard over Marinette's happy gasp.

Sabine looked on with approval as Marinette stepped forward towards Adrien. "Oh... you didn't have to," she managed as she took them from his outstretched hand.

"Of course I did," Adrien beamed, which earned him a kiss on the cheek.

"That's very sweet of you, Adrien. Is there any special reason for two?" asked Sabine.

 _One for each Marinette that I'm in love with?_ Adrien grinned to himself, but kept that particular thought to himself.

"It just seemed... right. I didn't know if she'd want to take them to school with her or not, so I didn't want to give her a double armful if she did," he replied.

"There you go, Marinette," agreed Sabine. "He's cute _and_ he's practical!"

"Two is _wonderful,_ Adrien," purred Marinette. "How about this... is there a little vase or something nearby, Mom?"

"Actually, there is a little one in the office," Sabine noted. "Let me go get some water into it..."

When her mother returned with a small vase, Marinette smiled, "Let's do it this way. I'll put one of them in here, for safekeeping," then tucked the other one into her purse with the petals sticking out. "And one right here so that I can show it off today," she giggled.

"Sounds like a plan," her mother said. "I'll put this one up in your room. You two are watching your time, right?"

"We are. Are you ready to head over, Adrien?" asked Marinette, and at his nod she tucked her arm into his. "Have a good day!" she called to her parents, "I'll see you both after school."

"See you then!" Sabine waved.

"Have fun! And don't cause too many scandals before lunch!" called Tom, grinning at the dirty look that brought from his wife.

* * *

As they exited the bakery, Adrien stole a glance at his girlfriend, and felt tingly inside at the heartfelt smile on her pretty face.

 _You are the luckiest boy on Earth, you know that, right?_ he told himself. _The most amazing girl _ever_ fell for you. Someone whom you are gloriously unworthy of, but thank goodness, she disagrees._

 _She is so happy right now. It's _radiating_ off of her. And you're responsible for that, because you finally fell in love with the side of her that she wanted you to see all along._

 _This is a part of her that Chat Noir can't protect. Chat Noir can't make her this happy. Only Adrien can._

 _Is there even any doubt that-_

"C'mere, you," interrupted Marinette, tugging at Adrien's arm about twenty steps down the sidewalk from the bakery.

"Hmmm?" smiled Adrien.

"We're still going to handle this at school the way that we'd talked about, right? Slow and simple and have some fun waiting to see who notices, right?" Marinette asked him.

"I'm up for that if you are," he replied. "Less chance of disrupting the whole class, plus we get to see the looks on their faces."

"Then I guess I'd better thank you for my roses now, before we get there," she whispered, huskily.

* * *

A minute or so later, the happy couple surfaced for air.

"Mmmmm," breathed Marinette. "I could get used to this."

"Same here," Adrien grinned. "Do you think we've got that out of our system just now, before we go over there?"

Marinette's eyes gleamed.

"No, we haven't."

* * *

"We... are going... to be late... for school," mumbled Adrien, as well as he was able to.

"Oh, well," smirked Marinette, catching her breath. "They're... kind of used to... me doing that."

"Not for this... reason," Adrien smiled.

"That's... true," she argued, giggling, "So at least... this'll be a... new excuse."

"But I do need a little time to do that one thing we'd talked about..." breathed Adrien, pulling very slightly back through a massive exercise of will. "And maybe save us both some headaches later on?" He centered his eyes on hers with a very intense smile. "There will be _plenty more_ of this when we're ready."

Marinette leaned forwards...

 _"And_ when we're not going to be late for class," he grinned, leaning slightly further back. "I promise you that."

"Can you blame me?" Marinette smiled, blushing a little. "I've only been wanting this since the second day I knew you, Adrien."

"The _second?"_ Adrien said, his eyes widening. "Really?"

"Well... you have to admit that we got off on the wrong foot on the first day..."

"No, I meant... it was _that soon_?" Adrien sat down on a nearby bench for a moment, and Marinette followed. "I knew that you were someone I wanted to know better as soon as I met you, Marinette... and I felt like such a heel when you thought that I'd gummed your seat... but was I really _that_ oblivious?" he asked, with apology pouring out of his voice.

"It's okay, Adrien. We barely knew each other then," she assured him. "But this handsome boy that I'd _totally_ misjudged opened up to me on the school steps, when he could've just written me off... and then he gave me his umbrella in the rain, and my heart just went _THUMP."_

"...Adrien?" she added, looking concerned.

"How can I not have been _absolutely_ devoted to you all this time?" Adrien asked, with a gentle smile.

"Well, I guess I don't know," Marinette grinned, "But I can't _wait_ to see how you're going to make it up to me..."

* * *

Marinette and Adrien walked through the front door of the school, hand-in-hand as before, with a red rose poking out of the front of Marinette's purse. They greeted friends as they passed them, most of whom appeared quite happy to see them but didn't register anything dramatically out of the ordinary right away.

As they approached the door to Ms. Bustier's class, the last few other stragglers were filing in. Alya waved to Marinette from the doorway... then her eyes went gigantic at the sight of the flower. She looked up at Marinette, who gave her a smile and nod; Nino's arm reached back and pulled her inside.

The only two left outside were Chloé and Sabrina. Chloé interrupted her incredibly important conversation with Sabrina to raise an eyebrow at their approach. "Well!" she smiled, turning it into a sneer. "So how did the big _pity date_ go?"

"As a matter of fact, Chloé... it went incredibly well," Adrien replied, with a guileless smile in return. "Wouldn't you say so, Marinette?"

"I would! Incredibly well," she grinned, trying not to cackle directly at Chloé. She snuck a glance down at her purse, Chloé following her gaze, and she had the immense personal satisfaction of watching Chloé's jaw drop.

"The way we planned this?" whispered Adrien.

"Yep," Marinette whispered back. With that, she leaned in and planted a quick kiss on his lips, then gestured to Sabrina. "You and I might want to go inside right about now," Marinette smiled at her as she stepped into the classroom.

Wordlessly, Sabrina followed, not sure if an out-loud "thank you" was appropriate.

* * *

Inside, Alya watched the door like a hawk. "Something _big_ is going on," she whispered to Nino.

"You think?" Nino said. "Though it probably ought to go on _inside_ rather than out, unless they want to get written up... Here they come."

Alya brightened up as Marinette came through the door... then looked confused as Sabrina, rather than Adrien followed her in. She watched as Marinette walked over to Ms. Bustier and spoke to her quietly. The teacher gave Marinette a look of mild surprise, then nodded and resumed preparing her lesson as Marinette took her seat.

"What was _that_ all about?" whispered Alya, once Marinette had settled in.

"Oh, just letting her know that Adrien will be slightly late today," smiled Marinette.

"And why is that?"

"Because of this," said Marinette, gesturing to the rose in her purse.

"And does _that_ mean what I think it does?" Alya bubbled excitedly, trying in vain to keep her voice down.

"It _completely does,_ " grinned Marinette.

 _"Yes!"_ cheered Alya, as quietly as she could manage, with a fist-pump. "Oh, wow! Chloé is going to go _berserk_."

"And _that's_ why they're out _there_. I told Ms. Bustier that Adrien was taking one for the team and containing the potential explosion outside the classroom," replied Marinette. "She told me, 'Congratulations and thank you, in that order.'"

* * *

"Your _girlfriend_ ," Chloé said to Adrien, in a voice dripping with ice.

Adrien sat next to Chloé in the hallway, who was looking as if she'd never want to stand up again. "She is," he replied, with a sad smile in Chloé's direction. "And I wanted to talk to you before you cause a scene about it in front of our friends."

"I don't understand any of this, Adrien," said Chloé, ignoring the parts of his statement that she didn't care for. "Why someone like _her_ , of all people? I've been here waiting all this time for you to... well... be _interested_ in dating. I've put myself out there so many times. You _had_ to know that I was interested!"

"It would've been pretty hard to miss, Chloé," replied Adrien. "You're not what I would call subtle when you want something."

"What _happened,_ then?" lamented Chloé. "Why would you pick _her_ and not _me?_ What did I do _wrong?_ "

Adrien shook his head, trying to grasp her mindset. "Chloé... did it ever occur to you that I just don't have _feelings_ for you that way?" he asked her.

"But you _have to!_ "

Chloé's voice was genuinely pained. Adrien took notice, as it was rare that she acted genuinely towards anyone. "And why is that?" he asked her.

"You've always been meant for me. We both know that," she murmured. "Ever since I was a little girl, you've been part of my life. Our parents have worked together, socialized together, brought us together... we're _celebrities_ together. You're the only _peer_ I have."

Adrien let her continue. "So for you to reject _me_ and carry on with that... _baker girl_..." she said, backpedaling when she saw Adrien frown at the venom in her statement. "Adrien, I can't believe that you're like _them_. That _you_ , of all people, hate me too."

* * *

In the classroom, Alya's excitement and Marinette's happy smile did not go unnoticed. Ms. Bustier delivered her lesson as planned, and the students maintained their focus on it...

...mostly.

An undercurrent of _Is that a RED ROSE?_ and _Look at Alya's face, there's something going on!_ and _Where are Adrien and Chloé?_ subverted the attempted education in progress. Undaunted, Ms. Bustier continued, knowing that Adrien's having taken things outside was what made even a partial lesson possible that morning.

None of them were aware that the most interesting conversation in the room was taking place right under their noses, just out of sight, inside Marinette's purse.

* * *

 _"WE_ have a _PROBLEM."_

Plagg's tiny, hissing voice made Tikki open her eyes, with increasing alarm on her part. _He's here in Marinette's purse?_ she wondered. _Usually, I have to go over there into Adrien's bag and hit him with something to wake him up. This _must_ be something serious..._

"Keep your voice down! We don't want to get caught here," Tikki whispered. "Did you find something in Adrien's house?"

"Actually, yeah, I did! I found a really suspicious-looking hidden elevator, and some kind of secret room that was too dark to see in, and it was full of _bugs_ and we'll want to check that out tomorrow _but that's not what's important right now,"_ Plagg insisted. "Come closer."

Tikki edged closer to Plagg, cautiously. "Why? What are you going to-"

" _Adrien_ figured out who _Ladybug_ is."

* * *

"Chloé, I don't hate you. You _know_ that. I don't have to be here right now, you know; I could be in class where I'm supposed to be. You're a friend of mine, even though you do make me wonder why sometimes, and I'm not trying to hurt you. I would never _want_ to hurt you," Adrien explained carefully.

"You're rubbing my nose in it. _She_ certainly is, _"_ sniffed Chloé.

"With the way that you've treated her over the years, could you blame her if she did?" asked Adrien. "But I want to tell you something. She and I talked about you, and she _wanted_ me to talk with you and make sure that you'd be all right. It was my idea at first, but she agreed with it. Completely."

"Bull!" snapped Chloé. "Why would _she_ want to be nice to me, all of a sudden?"

"Because she knows what it can be like to feel lonely. Just like she knows that I do. And that you do. And that I'm one of the only people you can connect with in any meaningful way."

The words stung Chloé, partly because she sensed some truth to them.

 _"I'm_ not lonely," she protested. "I can get all the friends I want, if I want them."

"Can you, really?" asked Adrien, sympathetically. "Sure, if you throw a big party and invite people, they'll come. But how many of them can you really talk to? Or share secrets about yourself with? Or count on to be there for you? Sabrina's more of your secretary than your friend sometimes, or at least that's how you treat her. You treat a lot of people that way; you look at them in terms of what they can give you or do for you."

Chloé glared at him as he continued. "And that's a shame. Because you already have anything you could possibly want, and you have so much going for you, but you spend so much energy trying to tear others down so that you'll be above them."

"But I'm..." Chloé began, then stopped.

"Go ahead. Say it out loud," insisted Adrien.

"I'm _better_ than them!" Chloé snapped, but didn't look happy saying it. "They know it and I know it."

"You are a lot of things, Chloé. You're rich and powerful. You're a bona fide superheroine sometimes as Queen Bee. You're a surprisingly good dancer. You are proud of who you are and what you're capable of," rattled off Adrien. "More privileged, yes. More talented in some ways, yes. But you're not a _better_ person."

"Why not?" she argued.

"Because you don't try to be?"

Chloé slumped down with her arms crossed, frustrated with the conversation.

"Let me tell you a story, okay?" asked Adrien. "This might sink in, and it might not. But I want you to listen."

Reluctantly, she nodded.

* * *

A muffled sound in her purse and a brief rustling motion drew Marinette's attention, but only for a moment, and not enough for her to investigate.

 _"Mmmmrph!"_ Tikki cried out, the sound dampened by Plagg's hand over her mouth.

He removed his hand once Tikki regained her composure. "Thank you. I think I needed that just then," Tikki whispered. "What _happened?_ Is he _right_ about who he thinks she is?"

"Mmm-hmmm," Plagg nodded. "Some of the things Ladybug had said to him all came together in his head at once. He played around with some pictures on his computer and lost his mind for a few minutes. I warned him to think before he did it, but he did it."

Tikki sighed, "'It's always been you.' I'd talked with her about that after she'd said that, and we'd hoped that all the kissing right after that had knocked that out of his memory. No such luck, I guess."

"It was that and a couple of other things, back when she was sharing things about herself to cheer him up," explained Plagg. "Don't be too hard on her. Being there for him like that and doing what she did then saved him from a world of hurt."

"And I don't think anything on Earth could've kept her from reaching out to him, any way she could," admitted Tikki. "Once she connected with him like that, this was probably inevitable... but, _damn_. I was _so_ hoping this wouldn't happen yet, but Master Fu didn't pick Adrien because Adrien wasn't at least a _little_ observant. So, how did he react? What's he planning on doing?"

"He didn't _totally_ freak out. As you noticed, he wasn't banging on Marinette's roof in the middle of the night. Once he got past the immediate shock, it kind of made sense to him. And it should've, right? He's in love with two girls who remind him of each other, it turns out they're one and the same, a lot of things clicked all of a sudden," said Plagg. "I walked him through the logic for a while. He's not going to tell her he's Chat Noir, mostly because he's afraid that if she finds that out, she'll dump him immediately. He'd already sent Ladybug email to meet with her, and he'll take some cues by how she reacts and not just blurt it out that he knows. When he hinted about identities with her as Chat, she noped right out of that, so he's aware that she might not want to know."

"He did seem pretty normal this morning with her. That much is good..." Tikki remembered.

"Oh, he's in love. No doubt about that," Plagg laughed. "He sees her smile and he's helpless. And he'll do whatever it takes to stay that way."

"What do you think that he _is_ going to do?" asked Tikki. "That's some pretty heavy knowledge to just sit on."

"I'm... not sure," said Plagg, scratching his head. "He's really intent on doing right by her, but he's being kind of... vague about it. Like he's got something in mind but he's not talking yet. I mean, he's _happy._ He's not going to do something that'd blow things up, at least on purpose, but some kind of stupid and enormous gesture in the name of love _is_ in his playbook. If I see one coming I'll try to slow him down and warn you."

Plagg looked thoughtful. "But I'll say one more thing. He's in love with Marinette, and her being Ladybug is a bonus, not the other way around. If you'd told me a month ago that it'd be like that, I wouldn't have believed it."

"Yeah," agreed Tikki. "That's a good omen for the two of them. What's he doing now? I noticed that he's not in here."

"He's out in the hallway, doing damage control, trying to keep Chloé from screeching like a howler monkey."

"Good for him," she smiled. "All right. Thanks for the heads-up; I'll watch Marinette and see if I need to guide her, knowing this. Wow. Dinner tomorrow could get _complicated_ , couldn't it?"

"Yeah. And that's _before_ we go snooping."

Plagg disappeared through the bottom of the bag, ducking down through the floor to return to Adrien. Tikki curled into a little ball, consumed by thought and worry.

 _Well! This is a delightfully terrifying start to my day,_ she mused.

 _I guess that it really was inevitable. And if it came out of Marinette being caring and honest with Adrien, not by accident or from some weird Akuma side-effect, that's a good thing..._

 _...but I'll have to warn Marinette to refill her emergency macaron supply, because I think I'm about to stress-eat her entire stash._

* * *

"...I had no idea what I was going to do," Adrien explained. "My home life was a shambles, I felt alienated around here, and I was _this close_ to being Akumatized. Something that I know you know a little bit about," he said. "I was at the end of my rope, even after Ladybug saved me."

"What did you do?" asked Chloé, invested in his story despite herself.

"It's not what I did. It's what _Marinette_ did."

He related how Marinette had reached out to him to find out how she could help, how she had been his confidant, his shoulder to cry on, his emotional anchor in his time of need. The Ladybug-related parts were left out of the saga, of course, but he was open about everything that he could be.

"So you approached her, and she helped. I mean, I could've..." insisted Chloé.

"No, that's not what happened, Chloé. I didn't approach Marinette. She approached _me_. She had the empathy to see that I was suffering, even though I was hiding it pretty well, and the good heart to want to help that to stop," said Adrien. "She didn't do that because I was rich, or powerful, or popular, or just because I'm cute. She did it because _that's what she does_. Because she's the kind of person that I hope I can learn to be."

It sank in for Chloé, ever so slightly, though she'd deny that it'd happened if asked. "So _that's_ why I've been replaced?" she asked.

"You haven't been _replaced_ , Chloé. You're still my friend. I don't turn friends on and off like a light switch," Adrien chided her. "You drive me crazy sometimes, but I'm one of the only people who _has_ seen the real Chloé, the vulnerable Chloé underneath. That you _do_ care about people, that you do have a gentle side, whether or not you'd ever admit it. Do you think Ladybug would've picked you as Queen Bee if you were just an irredeemable snot?" he asked. "Of course she wouldn't. She saw good things in you, too. And if you let that good out more often, you'd have a lot more real friends than you do."

Chloé looked like she wanted to cry. "But you'll always have at least one, okay?" Adrien added, and she nodded.

"I'm not sure what to say," Chloé sniffled. "Or where I go from here."

"Here's what I'm asking of you, okay?" Adrien ventured. "You don't have to like that I'm dating Marinette. You don't have to like _her,_ even, though I do wish that you could try! But she's going to be a big part of my life for a very long time, and I want _you_ to continue to be part of my life, too. That means that I need you to be civil around her. Not your best friend or your bosom buddy, but someone that you can at least see with me and _accept_ that she's with me. To get that this is not a contest, because I'll warn you now; if you make it one, and you snipe at her trying to tear her down and put her in what you think her place is, if you try to make it 'it's her or me,' you've already lost."

He leaned in closer to her, and without thinking, she hugged him.

"I'm not going to tell you that it won't sting a little. But I'll tell you something that Ladybug told me about someone that _she_ was interested in, but couldn't get his attention," Adrien whispered.

" _Ladybug_ had someone she couldn't get?" asked Chloé, her eyes wide with astonishment.

"Uh-huh. She told me that we can be anyone, do anything, try anything and we'll never _make_ someone love us. That's not how it works. All we can do is be the best person that we can be, put our best selves out there for others to see, and hope that the ones we admire see that in us." Adrien smiled, remembering how Ladybug had lifted his spirits on that dark day in the school bathroom weeks before. "We love who we love. And sometimes we think we know who we love, but then someone else comes along and before we know it, we're head over heels and wondering why it took so long to realize it."

"Heh... So maybe there's some hope for me after all," Chloé managed.

"Of course there is. With everything else you have going for you, Chloé, if you show off your long-lost sweet side whoever you set your sights on will be helpless," smiled Adrien. " _Except_ for me. I'm taken," he grinned. "But you know what I mean. Your right guy will come along."

Chloé grumbled at the last part, then allowed herself a small smile. "You are the one person who gets me sometimes," she said. "She'd better take _very_ good care of you."

"Of that I have no doubt," said Adrien, looking much happier.

* * *

The classroom door opened quietly, and everyone but Ms. Bustier reacted immediately to its movement. The instructor continued writing quietly on the blackboard, choosing to let the situation resolve itself.

Without a word, Adrien and Chloé took their seats. Adrien turned to Marinette briefly and gave her a thumbs-up sign, then turned back to focus on the classwork-in-progress. Marinette watched as Chloé glared at her momentarily, her face then shifting to an expression Marinette couldn't quite place... then as Chloé faced forwards, her face a bit red, doing her best to pretend like everything was perfectly normal. She overheard Chloé mutter "Not now" in response to something that Sabrina asked her, then focused on her teacher once more.

To Marinette's left, Alya wrote on her notepad and nudged it slightly in Marinette's direction:

NO FIREWORKS WITH HER?

As subtly as she could, Marinette jotted down "THAT'S THE IDEA" on her own paper.

Alya scribbled out a little more:

THAT'S NO FUN, IS IT?

"Later," Marinette whispered, with a grin.

 _Just because a lot of this started in detention doesn't mean I want to go back there, Alya,_ she giggled to herself.

* * *

The morning class ended, and as the group filed out the door, Marinette and Adrien were swiftly the center of attention. At least for all other than Ms. Bustier, who remained at her desk in an effort not to show favoritism but did send a smile their way, and Chloé, who stomped out quickly without a word or glance for anyone, with Sabrina in reluctant pursuit.

The happy couple confirmed their we're-now-a- _thing_ -hood and accepted congratulations from all directions, curtailed by the short amount of time before the next class would begin. Promises to tell more of the story at lunch were made by both, and the students started to dissipate in various directions.

Marinette looked up at Adrien and asked, "Come see me then?"

"Defini-"

From down the hall, a loud voice called out, " _Kiss her, already!"_

Both of them cracked up and turned to see an expectant Kim staring at them, his hands outstretched as if saying ... _Well?_

Mindful of teachers and Principal Damocles nearby, Adrien leaned down and gave Marinette a quick peck on the lips.

"That's my _boy!_ " Kim crowed, then bolted down the hallway.

"Think we'll need to put on daily shows?" Adrien asked her, still laughing.

"Maybe we can sell tickets," Marinette winked. She squeezed his hand, then took off towards her own next class, as did Adrien.

* * *

The rest of the day passed like a blur, from Marinette's perspective.

Lunchtime brought with it what both of them expected; they stepped into the cafeteria hand-in-hand, and saw a sea of eager faces at the girls' table all but _screaming_ for Marinette to come and tell them every last detail.

"Shall I join you?" Adrien asked.

"How daring do you feel?" giggled Marinette. "They're going to want to know _ev-v-v-verything_. Do not underestimate the power of curious girls in large groups! I'm one of them, I know how Girl Talk works, but you haven't been trained to resist it."

"Will you train me in that secretive art, then?" grinned Adrien. "It sounds really useful."

"Now, why would I want to do that? Then I couldn't use it on _you_ ," she smiled, wickedly. "Plus, I'm sure that the guys are curious, too."

Adrien glanced over and saw his usual table staring at him, ready to pounce. "Uh-huh," he agreed. "If we're not careful, we'll end up in a scene from _Grease_."

"What's that? I haven't seen that one," asked Marinette.

"The girls sing 'Tell me more, tell me more, was it love at first sight,' then the guys sing 'tell me more, tell me more, did she put up a fight,' that kind of thing. An old, corny musical."

"Will you train _me_ in the secretive art of old, corny movies, then?" Marinette pleaded, with faux-serious eyes. "Teach me your ways."

" _That_ I can do," Adrien grinned. "I've got lots of movies I'd love to sit and watch with you. Maybe we can pick one out after dinner tomorrow night. Something funny and classic, maybe? Mel Brooks, Peter Sellers... the Marx Brothers?"

 _"Oooh!_ " beamed Marinette. "I _love_ the Marx Brothers." She looked at Adrien, who had a... _strangely knowing grin of sorts on his face?_ , and covered for herself. "My dad had me watch a few of their movies when they were on Netflix. Really funny stuff!"

Adrien smiled back, seemingly satisfied. "It's a date, then. Of course, it was already! If you need a rescue, or if you just want to sneak out to the courtyard out back and snuggle before lunch is over, give me a whistle, okay?" he asked.

He didn't even take a step before a low whistle from Marinette made him grin from ear to ear.

As he walked over to his usual lunch table, hearing high-pitched squeals behind him as Marinette arrived at hers, Adrien had to laugh to himself. _If I do keep my knowledge secret... man, not giving her too many hints that I know is going to be HARD!_ he thought.

 _Fun, sometimes... but hard._

* * *

During his last class of the day, Adrien asked to be excused to the restroom, which his teacher granted. He settled into a familiar stall, one near and dear to his heart after a certain rescue by Ladybug, and settled down to think.

 _If I'm going to do this... I need to do it now. If I wait and second-guess myself, I'll talk myself out of it, and then I don't know what will happen._

Plagg floated out of his shirt pocket, somewhat unimpressed with the surroundings. He studied Adrien for a moment, noted that Adrien's lack of pants-dropping meant that he'd come here just to think, then did a quick scan of the room to make sure that they were alone before talking.

"I'm proud of you, Adrien," he declared. "I had a whole bunch of nightmares in my head as to how today could've gone wrong, but I had faith that you could hold it together, and you did. You even dropped that one little hint and left it at that."

"Thank you, Plagg. I don't always tell you this... but your guidance and your friendship have always meant a lot to me," smiled Adrien.

"I, uh... the feeling is mutual, right? Let's not get carried away with the mushy stuff," replied Plagg, a little thrown by the unexpected sentiment. "And that girl is _crazy_ about you! As if I need to tell _you_ that. You've done really well for yourself."

"I know. And I am just as crazy about her! She is so far beyond everything I've ever wanted that I can't even express it," he replied, choking up a little. "I would do absolutely _anything_ to make sure she stays this happy."

"Somehow I don't think that's going to be a problem," grinned Plagg. "She sure isn't one of those girlfriends who's afraid to show affection! I'm not usually much on watching humans kiss, but you two are just so... enthusiastic about it?"

"...Anything," repeated Adrien, his face suddenly somewhat grim.

Plagg hesitated, sensing the shift in Adrien's tone. "Hey, what's with that face?" he asked. "Like I said, all you have to do is just be yourself with her."

"And that's exactly what I'm going to do, Plagg. You hit the nail right on the head," agreed Adrien. "I hope that you'll understand."

"Adrien?" asked Plagg, suddenly wary. "Understand what? What are you - HEY!"

The Kwami yelped as Adrien pulled a silver ring off of his hand, causing Plagg to vanish in a puff of fine black mist.

Methodically, trying not to think any harder about it, Adrien retrieved a black box from his messenger bag, which was hanging on the door hook. He placed the ring inside, closed the box, and held it to his forehead with his eyes closed...

"I'm sorry, Plagg," he said, not knowing if the Kwami could somehow hear him, wherever he had disappeared to. "I really am. But I know what I have to do."

He placed the box in his bag, exited the stall, and checked his reflection in the mirror. A little cold water from the sink helped mask the redness on his face and the eyes that he was fighting hard to keep dry.

* * *

A short time later, Adrien walked out into the main hallway, and saw a blue-eyed girl with a soft and sweet smile waiting patiently for him to arrive.

"Hello, beautiful," he called to her, and watched Marinette's eyes light up.

"Hi, handsome," she beamed. "Going my way?"

"If you can stand the company," Adrien joked, his hand slipping into hers. "So, did you enjoy today, or should we go back to the way we were before?"

"Ohhhh, no," Marinette squealed, clamping onto his arm with feigned intensity. "You're not getting away that easily, mister. I've got you now, I'm keeping you! Took me long enough."

"It feels so good seeing you this happy, Marinette," he smiled. "We had our bumps in the road getting here, but that look on your face tells me that it's all completely worth it."

She laid her head against his shoulder as they walked, affectionately. "Doing anything later?" she asked.

"Oh! Speaking of later, I was supposed to ask you something. My father wants to know what you'd like as the main course tomorrow night, or at least a hint. Is there anything that you really like, or really don't?" wondered Adrien.

Marinette thought for a moment. "That's a good question, really. I'm not too picky, and with my parents' backgrounds, I try all kinds of things. Mom's experiments in the kitchen turn out better than Dad's most of the time, but that's because Dad's not afraid to _really_ try something new! I mean, I like lots of stuff. About the only thing I've tried that I'm not into is sushi."

"Didn't agree with you, hmmm?" Adrien smiled.

"Yurgh!" moaned Marinette, sticking her tongue out. "Whatever we have tomorrow, I'm fine with it as long as it's cooked. Did you have anything in mind?"

"Oh, I don't know. Michel, our lead chef, does so many things well," he pondered. "He has a classic French haute cuisine background, so when we're expecting formal company he really goes all out with extravagant courses, but when it's just the three or four of us he likes to branch out into different things. He's really good with Normandy seafood; he does amazing things with scallops and tuna. Poultry, beef, pasta... whatever you'd be into. He has an extensive list of vegetarian dishes, which is what they stick _me_ with most of the time. Or at least they did," he added. "Father's kind of... loosened those reins recently."

Marinette leaned back to a standing position, to get a better look at his face. "Really?" she asked, a bit surprised. "I thought that he was so worried that you might gain a single ounce. Especially now that you're dating a baker's daughter, who could just _stuff_ him full of pastries and ruin his perfect figure. And whose mother has already started on that on school mornings..."

"Oh, I'm sure that he hasn't forgotten any of that. I have visions in my head of my personal trainer cracking a bullwhip," Adrien replied. "But the other night at dinner, he told me that he's recognizing that I'm growing up, and he wants to entrust me with more choices and responsibilities. It kind of came out of nowhere... but maybe there's something to that. I'm certainly not complaining... not yet, anyway."

 _I hope that he's right. Because I just made maybe the biggest choice of my life just an hour ago, sitting in a bathroom, thinking of you, Marinette._

 _Just like you've done for me so many times... if I can't be both of my selves for you, I want to be the one that makes you happiest._

* * *

As they reached the front door and passed through it, they encountered Alya and Nino waiting for them by the main steps.

"So! Now that you two have _finally_ made it official..." grinned Alya, "I guess that we can finally tell you about the betting pools we had on you?"

Adrien's face turned to confusion, while Marinette put her hand on her hip, her face simply saying _What._

"Oh, it's not just us. Most of our class was in on it, too," admitted Nino. "There were a few different bets. I think we all knew that you two would be a couple _eventually,_ right? So there was one on what day you'd come out together, the way you did today. Ivan won that one, right?"

"Yeah, he was the closest," Alya replied. "Poor Rose was so optimistic; she had put down five months ago. Then there was one on if either of you would date anyone else before you got together..."

"...Who did they think we were going to date?" asked Adrien, his eyes bugging out a bit.

"Well, you and that Kagami... that got a couple of bets," said Alya. "Marinette, a couple of people put money down on Juleka's brother... including Juleka. I guess she heard him talking about you..."

"Really?" marveled Marinette, looking shocked. "I mean, he _is_ really nice and everything... but he'd never really, like, told me how he..."

"Oh, no, you don't!" Adrien exclaimed, playfully grabbing at her arm. "I saw you first."

"One person in our class even bet on _themselves_ dating one of you. And it wasn't Chloé!" Nino added.

"Wait, who was _that?_ And which of us were they betting on?" asked Marinette, Adrien's startled face indicating that he, too would love to hear the answer.

"All bets are confidential, to protect the anonymity of the ticket-buyer," Alya waved them off, grinning. "It was a small bet. And, very obviously, it didn't pay off."

They laughed together for a couple of minutes, sharing small talk, until Alya noticed that no one seemed to be in any hurry. "Adrien, is your car coming for you today, or are you hanging out at Marinette's?" she asked.

"Actually... if it's all right with you, Marinette... I was thinking of stopping by Nino's for a bit. I haven't hung out with him lately, and we could stand to talk about some things... and I'm sure that you and Alya have an awful lot to talk about, given current events," Adrien ventured. "Is that all right?"

"Hmmm? Oh, yeah, sure," Nino said. "I can hang."

Marinette grinned. "That all depends. Nino, you weren't the one who bet on himself to date Adrien, were you?"

"That would be a 'No,'" Nino sputtered, caught off-guard.

"Then I think we're safe," she giggled. She leaned over and kissed Adrien on the cheek. "Call me later?" she asked.

"Absolutely," Adrien grinned.

They watched the girls head off together towards Marinette's house. Nino watched his girlfriend talk excitedly with Marinette, and heard an exclamation of "...the _scarf?!_ " just before they went out of hearing range. He looked at Adrien for a second, then asked, "Everything's cool, right? I mean, I'm glad to have you come over and everything, but what else is up?"

"I'll tell you when we get there, okay?" Adrien replied, enigmatically. "Trust me... I'm pretty sure that you'll like it."

* * *

Nino entered his bedroom, with Adrien right behind him, and dropped his book bag by his desk. "How long can you stay for?" he asked.

"Oh, probably an hour or two... I told the Gorilla to pick me up in time for dinner, and I'd text him when I'm ready," said Adrien. "So, whatever."

"Cool," smiled Nino. "So, what's on your mind? If you're in the mood to hang out with me instead of curl up with Marinette _now_ , it must be something important."

"You're right, it is," sighed Adrien. "Believe me, I have _no_ complaints about the curling-up part! I'm still tingling in places where I didn't know I had places." He thought for a moment, then added, " _You're_ okay with me dating her, right? I mean, you and Alya have been together for a good while now, but I know you had a thing for Marinette once... I feel bad that I didn't ask before."

"Oh, absolutely, go for it!" Nino assured him. "I'm super happy for you two! Marinette is a really great girl, and it's like you two were meant to be together. And you _know_ how happy I am with Alya. I hope that _that's_ not what was bothering you!"

"It's not, like, a Bro Code violation?" smiled Adrien.

"If anyone knows the Bro Code, it's me, Bro," laughed Nino. "Seriously! This is awesome and it's long overdue. Most of the people who put money down agree."

That got a big laugh out of Adrien. "There were _really_ that many people betting on us?" he marveled. "And waiting for me to make a move?"

"Well, look at it this way," Nino explained. "Nobody could blame you for having a big thing for Ladybug, but nobody _knew_ you had a thing for Ladybug, right? And almost everybody kind of knew how Marinette felt..."

"...Everybody but me, right?" Adrien noted, a little reluctantly.

"You got there eventually, and that's what counts. And we all saw how _you_ were around Marinette even before you started chasing her. You were kind of falling for her _then,_ too, dude."

"Yeah," Adrien said, his smile coming back. "And I'm so lucky that she waited so long for me to wake up. I could be sitting here right now moping about her and Luka being together."

 _Actually, that's a thought. If Nino turns me down, maybe Luka would consider...?_ pondered Adrien. _Or at least he's an option, someone who Marinette would trust. I don't know him all that well yet, though, so I'd have to do some homework on him._

 _And anyway, why would Nino say no to what I'm about to do?_

"But I'm in a really good place now. I absolutely adore Marinette, and she knows that, and I just want to devote myself to making her as happy as she makes me," declared Adrien, standing up. "And there's one thing I can do to make sure of that."

"What's that?" asked Nino.

Adrien turned and opened Nino's door, making sure that no one was standing behind it, then closed it again. "Check your windows, okay? Nobody's standing by them?" he asked, cryptically.

"Uh... okay," laughed Nino. "I have no idea why anyone would be spying on us, but if it'll make you feel better..." He checked the window closest to him and, to his utter lack of surprise, found no one there listening in to their conversation. "All clear. Now, what is it... that..."

Nino turned back to Adrien... who was standing before him, holding out a black hexagonal box.

"Nino Lahiffe... Paris needs your help," intoned Adrien. "And so do I."

* * *

"Whoa! Is that... Adrien, what is _going on?"_ gasped Nino, caught completely off-guard. He stared at the box with visible recognition. "What are _you_ doing with that? Did Ladybug ask you to deliver it?"

"...No?" replied Adrien, not sure about his friend's reaction. "It... does have something to do with Ladybug, but she didn't... um..."

"Okay... uh, we'll talk about it later, I guess. First, let me say 'Hi' to my little green buddy..." grinned Nino, taking the box from Adrien.

Adrien stared blankly, as the room filled with a white flash. "...Green?" he asked, sensing that something was amiss.

 _Why would Nino think that Plagg would be green?_

 _No, that's not it. Nino doesn't know Plagg! Or any of the Kwamis, for that matter. So how would he know that there's a green one?_

 _Unless..._

 _Oh, _hell_._

As the flash faded, Nino's smile faded as well.

"You're not... wait. Who the heck ARE you?" he asked, looking very confused.

Plagg stared back at Nino, dumbfounded... then turned and glared at Adrien. " _YOU_ have a _lot_ of explaining to do, Adrien," he snarled. _"Right now!"_

* * *

 ** _"DUDE."_**

Adrien looked at Nino, who was clearly overclocking his conscious mind at that moment. "Okay, I get that this may seem really strange to you, but..." Adrien said.

Nino and Plagg both stared back at Adrien, silently.

"I'm... trying to make sense of this. That may not be possible," Plagg said. "Are you _giving me away?_ What the _heck,_ Adrien?"

"Adrien, you're trying to give me a _Miraculous?_ " Nino gasped. "Where did you... how did you... HOW?"

"Whoa there! Both of you! Plagg, I... Nino, how do you know what a Miraculous looks like?" Adrien asked, in a panic.

Nino paused, but only for a moment. "Because I... have one sometimes?" he replied, shyly.

He watched Adrien's face contort with surprise. "Ladybug brings me one when she needs my help, so that I can be Carapace. But _you're_ not Wayzz," he said, turning towards Plagg. "You're... Plagg, he said, right? The black cat?"

"The one and only," Plagg grinned.

"But what are you doing with... _WAIT!_ Are you telling me that... _Adrien, you're Chat Noir?_ "

"Could you say that a little _louder_ , maybe?" Adrien hissed. _"You're_ Carapace? Are you _serious?_ "

"When I'm needed to be," Nino said. " _Are_ you Chat Noir? Like, Ladybug didn't just give this to you, you've _been_ Chat Noir?"

Adrien's face fell, and he was silent for several seconds. "I was," he replied, sadly. "But I can't be any more."

* * *

"You _have_ to be kidding me, Adrien," Plagg yelled, failing to muffle himself. "What are you talking about? Why can't you be Chat Noir any more?"

"You heard her yourself, Plagg, plain as day," said Adrien, evenly. "Ladybug can never date Chat Noir. It's too dangerous for both of our identities, and she just can't let that happen. But this city _needs_ a Chat Noir; _Ladybug_ needs a Chat Noir. She'll try to do it alone if she has to... but I can't let her do that."

Plagg stared at him in disbelief. "So your brilliant idea is to pawn me off on _someone else?_ Whoever you can find who'd look good in black?"

"Ladybug _needs_ her partner; someone to protect her while she protects all of us. I thought long and hard about this, Plagg! I'm not just handing this out randomly at the bus stop. I need someone brave, smart, whom I can trust completely to fill those shoes. Nino is all of that," argued Adrien. "And if I'd told you that I was doing this, you'd have stopped me!"

"Damned _right_ I would've!" snarled Plagg.

"Wait, wait, wait. Adrien, we _talked_ about you maybe dating Ladybug, but you're not now! You're dating Marinette! So how does that mean that... Ladybug..." Nino interjected.

"Oh, _boy_ ," grumbled Plagg. _Three... two... one..._

"Nino, um..." began Adrien. _Maybe this _wasn't_ such a good idea_... _he says, in the understatement of the decade..._

" _HOLY CRAP!_ " barked Nino. "Ladybug is _Marinette?"_

 _"Will you both keep your voices down?"_ Plagg ordered. "Or we could just call up Nadja at TVi and tell her, and then she can put it on the nine o'clock _news!"_

Adrien facepalmed, trying to work out the exact moment in which this string of horrific life choices had begun.

"But if Marinette is... you know... why were you debating _which_ of them to date?" asked Nino.

"Because I didn't know! I only figured it out late last night," Adrien stammered. " _Please_ do not tell anyone! _Please!_ This is so important. Not your family, not Alya..."

"Oh, _jeez,_ " gasped Nino. "This is _not_ going to be easy to hide from her. This is amazing, though, and I don't know how we all never figured it out before this! All five heroes of Paris are in the same literature class!"

Adrien blinked. "They are?" He did the mental math. "Wait. Rena Rouge is in _our class?"_

Nino just stared at him. "Come on, now. If I'm Carapace... and Marinette gave us our Miraculouses... who do you _think_ Rena is?"

Plagg flew between the two of them as Adrien muttered, "...Oh!" with sudden recognition.

"Both of you... _sit down, now,_ " he snapped at the boys. "You just ran through four secret identities in thirty seconds, and that's a new record! The only reason you didn't blow Queen Bee's is that there are only six people left who _don't_ know hers. _Enough!_ We need to stop _right now_ and talk this through before my head blows off."

* * *

The next forty minutes were less than pleasant for all three of them... but very necessary.

"All right, Nino. We're on the same page?" Plagg asked, looking somewhat exhausted. "You already had Ladybug's trust, or you wouldn't have your visitation rights with Wayzz, but this is a whole new level of secrets you're dealing with now. I'll arrange with Adrien for me to meet with you again, which should be pretty easy since, you know, you're in the same school and you're buds."

"I understand," gulped Nino. "Anything that I learned in this room stays between the three of us. I don't know who would believe me, anyway."

"Good. For what it's worth, kid, I know that you mean that. I've seen enough of you from being around Adrien to know that your head's on straight. _He_ didn't know you've been Carapace, but I did, and you've done a great job when we've called on you," smiled Plagg. "There's someone that you're going to need to meet, now that you know the _big_ secrets. Nothing to be afraid of; he approves of you already. I'll let you know when, or he'll introduce himself when you least expect it."

"That's fine. I'll look forward to it," Nino replied, trying to appear confident.

"And I'll tell you what... maybe after he meets you, he'll let Wayzz spend a _lot_ more time with you, if you want that. I think that just by staying sane through this, you just graduated to the big leagues," Plagg continued.

"That'd be awesome, little dude!" grinned Nino.

"Now, as for _you_..." Plagg turned to Adrien, who was slumped down in his chair, looking miserable. "I know you've just been through quite a shock, but you _know better!_ At least I thought you did! Maybe the only reason you're not getting your ring taken away for this is that you did this to get _rid_ of it."

"Do you think that I _want_ to stop being Chat Noir?" sulked Adrien. "You _know_ I don't. Plagg, I've been through so much being her partner, and I've loved every minute of it! It's been the first taste of real freedom I've ever had. It's how I first fell in love with Ladybug. _And_ one way that I started getting to know Marinette so much better; she was nervous around me, but around Chat, she was so funny, so sweet, so... everything that I should've _really_ noticed a long time ago."

He took a deep breath and did his best to suppress a full breakdown. "But _I don't know what else to do_ , Plagg! There's no other answer! I can't be her Miraculous partner _and_ her love. Other people have been Chat Noir... so someone else can. They might even do a better job than I have. But if Adrien is who Marinette wants, and Chat Noir is who she can't be with... Adrien is who I need to be _more_."

Plagg gave him a sympathetic look as Adrien asked, "...Do you know anyone else who can be _Adrien_ for her? Because I don't."

"In that case, Adrien... you know exactly where you need to go _right now_. And it's not a bakery, and it's not a rooftop balcony," sighed Plagg. "For now, you need to _chill out_ for me, and you know why! Think of last night, this morning, whatever it takes, but keep the butterflies away. We'll figure something out. I don't know _what_ just yet... but we'll figure _something_ out."

"I've got your back, man," Nino added. "Now, uh, more than ever."

Adrien walked over to him and hugged him, surprising Nino a little bit, though he returned it. "I know. You're a great friend, Nino," Adrien smiled. "There's a reason that you're the one I would've trusted with this."

"You know where we're going next, Adrien?" asked Plagg, floating over to Adrien's ear and whispering in it.

"Yeah, I know where that is," said Adrien. "No costumes through the front door, but I'll need mine to get there. So... since I don't need to hide it from Nino any more..."

"I know. Go ahead, show him," smiled Plagg.

"CLAWS OUT!"

* * *

Partway across town, a short time later, Master Fu was in his kitchen, preparing a light supper for himself. He had a two hour window between customers at his studio, and every intention of using it to relax and spend some quiet time meditating on the universe.

The universe, however, had other ideas on this particular early evening.

"Master!" a familiar voice called out, though not a voice Master Fu expected to hear in that time or place. Fu whirled around to see Plagg floating his way, then sat the mixing bowl he was carrying down, lest he drop it.

"Plagg! This _is_ a surprise," Fu greeted him, with concern behind his eyes. "What brings you here? Are we in danger?"

"Master, I apologize. I should not be here, I am aware-" Plagg began.

"Plagg, you are not in the habit of making casual social calls. Your presence here would not be without great need," the old man smiled. "Tell me of your need. Is Adrien all right?"

Plagg sighed, lowering his eyes. "Yes... and no. Right now, a lot more no. If you check your front doorstep, there's a scared little kitten sitting there right now, looking for shelter. He's not sure any more that he can be a cat."

"I see," Master Fu replied, his face falling somewhat. "And what brought this on?"

"He is in love with two different girls," explained Plagg, "and both of them are in love with him. And those two girls turned out to be the same _very special_ one, which he figured out on his own late last night."

"Oh, dear... And I'm sensing that that's just the tip of the iceberg," Master Fu said, to which Plagg nodded. The Guardian thought for a moment. "Both secrets are out?" he asked, pointedly.

 _"He_ knows. _She_ doesn't." Plagg rolled his eyes and added, "Actually, add one more. Nino now knows both of them, because Mr. Noble out there just tried to fix things by giving me to _him_."

"Hmmph." Fu picked up the mixing bowl from the table and placed it in his refrigerator. "In that case, supper can wait."

* * *

Outside of Master Fu's massage studio, Adrien Agreste sat on the front step, his mind a tangled web of thoughts and emotions.

 _I can't dwell too much on how badly I just screwed up,_ he thought. _Plagg is right, of course; just _having been_ Chat Noir and knowing what I know is a huge responsibility that I can never get away from. I have to keep my emotions stable for so many reasons, but for_ __her_ sake most of all! If I am weak, she could pay the price, and I can't live with that._

 _But I thought that I saw the one way out of this, and all I did was make things worse for myself and harder on Nino. _Is_ there a way out?_

 _At least now I have someone I can talk to about Chat Noir things when I'm myself... if Master Fu still lets me _be_ Chat after this stunt I pulled._

 _And I do want to be Chat Noir... but I _can't_ be! But I can't give up my Maribug, either._

He closed his eyes and imagined Marinette's face, first the blissful expression she'd shown him these last couple of days, then the look of concern she'd worn while nursing him back to emotional health.

 __There's_ my focus. I need to do what's best for her._

 _And to get a much better grasp on just what that is._

Behind him, the door to the studio opened, and Adrien turned and looked up slowly. A small Chinese man in a Hawaiian shirt stood there, his expression kind, but also acknowledging the gravity of the situation.

"Come in, child," Master Fu told him. "You look like you could use some advice, some comfort and some tea. Might I suggest that we begin with the tea?"

Adrien rose to his feet, with a sincere smile. "I'd like that very much."

* * *

Next time:

* A man-to-man-to-Kwami-to-Kwami talk.

* Tikki tests the waters, Marinette checks her inbox, Adrien weighs his options, Plagg needs a vacation.

* "Do I _look_ like I'm an expert at that?"

* "This isn't something that can wait."

* Moonlight in the park is beautiful this time of year.

* "Your deliverance is nearly at hand. I can feel it."

* "THAT is a lot of things. NONE of them GOOD!"

* The endgame edges slightly closer...


	16. Inhale, Hold, Exhale, Repeat

Someone To Watch Over Me, Chapter 16: Inhale, Hold, Exhale, Repeat...

* * *

Adrien Agreste sat quietly at a wooden table, taking in the modestly furnished room around him. The decor was nondescript, nothing that Adrien wouldn't have expected for a elderly Chinese massage therapist... and certainly nothing to indicate that he'd just been let into the private domain of the Guardian of the Miraculous.

A place that he knew full well that under any other circumstances, he should not be in.

 _This might be the end of my partnership with Ladybug. It probably _should_ be, since I'm here because _I_ tried to end it!_ he reasoned. _So if it is, it's what I asked for, and I'd deserve it. I feel like I can at least defend what I did and why I did it, but blowing three secret identities to Nino in thirty seconds doesn't scream out 'Hi, I can be trusted with a Miraculous.'_

 _Plagg _and_ Ladybug had told me, at different times, that Master Fu needed to be surrounded by secrecy for everyone's safety. I was Chat Noir for months before they even let me know that he _existed_. And now I've screwed things up so badly that Plagg's brought me to his dining room?_

 _Maybe I can at least suggest candidates for the ring. I know enough about Marinette and Ladybug to do that, if he'll listen. Luka, maybe? I'd considered him before; he's a stand-up guy and seems to have a good head on his shoulders. Or if it needs to stay in our class for some reason, maybe Alix? She's got the athleticism and the attitude._

 _But as far as I go, what I know now makes me a liability. I wish I knew how Master Fu's going to handle that part, or what he's going to say about it._

Approaching footsteps pulled him out of his bout of self-recrimination. _Here he comes now... I guess I'm about to find out._

* * *

At Marinette's house, the girls were up in her bedroom. Alya marveled over the specifics of Marinette's romantic triumph, now that Marinette had time to relay the finer details.

"I have never seen you this happy, girl! And you deserve every bit of it," beamed Alya. "You have done _so much good_ for Adrien, and every time you two are together now, you're both glowing!"

"That was the idea," giggled Marinette. "Oh my gosh, Alya, I wish you could've seen us last night at my house! Everything went so well at dinner, my parents liked him so much, and then that moment outside... that was so, so, so, _so perfect!_ I can't stop thinking about it!"

"Obviously! Oh, this opens up so many possibilities," Alya agreed. "We can set up double-dates sometimes, I can't wait to watch your next trip together to Andre's Ice Cream... you can learn to play Super Penguino..."

Marinette blurted out, "He is a _natural_ at that game, don't you worry," with a big grin.

Alya grinned, "Oh, but you've only played the first level or two so far! There's so much about that game to learn; combination techniques, hidden levels, secret special moves..."

Her sly smile widened as she watched Marinette blush. "We, ah, are going to master those early levels first," Marinette stammered. "Practice makes perfect."

* * *

Adrien swallowed hard as the ancient Guardian took a seat across from him, his face not divulging much, with a tiny green turtle floating over his right shoulder. _That must be Wayzz, the Turtle Kwami,_ thought Adrien. _The 'little green buddy.'_

The Kwamis floated down and rested beside their respective hosts. Master Fu sat a cup of what smelled like green jasmine tea in front of each of them, then nodded silently at his young guest, inviting him to speak.

"Master Fu, I want to start by apologizing... both for what I have done, and for my being here at all. I know that you guard your privacy and your secrets very carefully..." Adrien began, obvious nervousness in his voice.

"You are here because you are in great need of help," said Master Fu, evenly. "And because I may provide it. That is as good a reason as any, isn't it?" He sipped at his tea and allowed himself a more pleasant facial expression.

"Even so..." said Adrien.

"Please ease your worries, Adrien," Master Fu replied, reassuringly. "You are not here for punishment; far from it. I wish to help in any way that I am able. Is your tea suitable?"

Adrien sniffed at it, and a small smile returned to his face. "It smells delicious. I might let it cool just a little bit more before trying it."

"Probably wise of you," Fu replied, taking another sip from his own cup. "When you're as old as I am, you taste the temperature of things as much as their flavor, so I take my tea far hotter than a young palate is used to." He smiled as he savored the second swallow, then sat his cup down. "So... Plagg has told me some of what has just happened, of your new romance, and of your discovery of the night before," he ventured. "That last one was quite a shock to your system, hmmm?"

"That's _one_ way to put it," sighed Adrien, still somewhat nervous. "It's like I'm deliriously happy and concussed at the same time."

"And Ladybug is not known for being careless with her identity. Quite the opposite, in fact... which suggests to me that this is but a part of a far larger story between the two of you." Fu continued. "Am I correct in that?"

"You are," Adrien answered. "Ladybug and I are closer than we've ever been before, in _both_ of her identities. And now that I know what I know, perhaps too close for her own good. But I'll let you be the judge of that."

"Fair enough. So let us begin, shall we? A man-to-man-to-Kwami-to-Kwami talk," Fu grinned. "In _your_ own words... why are you here? Start from the beginning."

* * *

"I am still really curious about one thing," Alya ventured. "That whole deal with Chloé and Adrien this morning. What were the two of them talking about out there?"

"What do _you_ think?" Marinette replied. "Chloé still felt like Adrien was _her_ _s_ by divine right. Neither of us wanted her to cause a big scene, and Adrien still considers her a friend of his... so he wanted to let her down easy and talk it out with her. To let her know that he wasn't cutting her off as a friend."

"The boy's a saint," said Alya, rolling her eyes. "And so are you, for that matter! I can't believe that you didn't rub her face in it."

"Like she would've done to me?" asked Marinette. "Well, that was kind of the point! Chloé inflicts pain on other people because she can. I want to think that I'm better than that, even if it would be well-deserved payback."

"Still..."

"Let me put it this way," said Marinette, looking serious. "He's known her a lot longer than I have, so I'm not going to tell him how he should feel about her. Adrien and I don't always agree on everything, and he gives people like her more benefit of the doubt than I ever will... but even I know that underneath that bitchy exterior, there _is_ some good in her. And then underneath that is more ego and snark, but there's _something_ worth pulling out of all that. I trust Adrien when he says that he can make that happen."

"I guess... Anyway, enough about her. I have to get going, but I just _had_ to hear the whole story! Congratulations, again!" bubbled Alya. "Tomorrow's the big night at his house, right?"

"Yep," Marinette replied. "Dinner at the Agreste Mansion, and meeting Gabriel Agreste as his son's new girlfriend! I've got the full-body shivers."

"If I can help you in any way, you let me know, okay? Hair, makeup, clothes, advice, tranquilizers..." Alya offered.

"You'll be who I call," Marinette laughed. The two walked down through the bakery, where Marinette hugged Alya as she left.

When she returned upstairs, Marinette saw Tikki float her way. "Tikki, what do you think I should wear tomorrow night?" Marinette asked her.

"Honestly, I hadn't given that much thought yet," answered Tikki. "But while we're on the subject... can we talk for a few minutes?"

"Sure," said Marinette, taking a seat on her computer chair.

* * *

Adrien took a deep breath, then began his story.

"Master, the way that this started was... I was in terrible trouble a few weeks ago; I felt like I was falling apart at the seams, and I came _this close_ to being Akumatized. Twice! I couldn't go to my father about it, because he was most of the reason for it. He seemed like he was finding every flaw he could in everything I did, and jumping on them on purpose."

"School wasn't much better; some of my friends weren't acting much like friends," continued Adrien. "Not always on purpose, but things there were very stressful, too. Plagg did his best to comfort me, but he can't be out in the open with me, and it was just... overwhelming. I didn't know where to turn, and it kept piling up until I thought I was going to crack."

Master Fu turned to Plagg, who appeared defensive. "It was _bad,_ okay? I _knew_ that it was," he stammered. "I was pretty close to bringing him to you a couple of times, but he had good days and bad days and I was kinda hoping that we could work through it, or that it would pass. The kid's tough, but his dad just _would not let up_."

"I did my best..." Adrien said, "but I had one very bad day, and only escaped being Akumatized by being very lucky. And by Ladybug being very lucky."

"We all have moments of weakness. I certainly know that I have, and do," Master Fu replied. "And having a magical incarnation of luck on our side never hurts, either." Fu paused and thought for a moment, then added, "And Ladybug helped you work through these troubled times?"

 _"Two_ caring people noticed and reached out to me, one at a time, and saved what was left of me. One of them was Ladybug... and the other was Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

* * *

"What's on your mind, Tikki?" asked Marinette. "I'm nervous enough meeting Mr. Agreste again as it is."

"And I can't blame you there," Tikki mused. "He's Adrien's father, he's rich, he's influential, he's a huge figure in the fashion industry, we thought that he was Hawkmoth once, he has the Guardians' Book of Lore and we're still not sure how or why..."

That made Marinette's eyes open very wide. "Wait! Okay, the book still has a lot of questions around it... but Master Fu had me return it, and never sent me back to try to find it there, or have me ask Adrien to look for it... and I thought we _cleared_ him of anything bad! He was Akumatized into the Collector, and we freed him, so he can't be..."

Marinette leaned forward, processing all of this. "Tikki, what is it that you're _saying_ right now?"

"I'm not saying anything specific, Marinette," Tikki soothed her. "I remember the Collector incident quite well, and yes, that did turn out better than we'd feared. But I _do_ still have questions about the Book and how it got there. So, a couple of things... One is that while you're eating with the Agrestes, I might do a little snooping around the house."

"Really?" asked Marinette, looking rather startled. _"You?_ Prowling around and looking for trouble? I thought that Plagg was the sneaky Kwami of the two of you."

"Oh, I'm probably just being silly!" backtracked Tikki. "But when next I see Master Fu, I can tell him 'we think the Book is still in his house,' or 'I can tell you _exactly_ where it is,' and I think he'd prefer the latter. I just wanted to warn you that if you look in your purse and I'm not in it, not to panic. I'll be nearby."

"All right. What else?"

"Number two, try not to mention the Book or anything about Ladybug while you're there, okay? I know, I know, you wouldn't normally!" Tikki looked a little nervous herself. "But the last time you were there as Marinette, at least that I remember, was when you returned that book to him. Maybe he'd remember that, maybe not. But if he doesn't make that link, don't bring it up, and if he _does_ think of it I don't want him going to get it while I'm busy looking for it! I can just picture him opening a desk drawer or something, and I'm there like, 'Oh, hello...'"

"Hah! That might raise a few questions," smiled Marinette. "All right, nothing about the Book."

"And the third thing is simple, and I'm _really_ not doing a good job of it so far today. Marinette, when you go there with Adrien... I want you to feel _relaxed_ ," Tikki smiled back. "I know that Gabriel Agreste seems scary on a lot of levels. This is your boyfriend's father and you'll want to make a good impression, and he's naturally imposing... What I'm reminding you now is that you _will_ make a good impression just by being yourself! You're smart, polite, sweet and caring. You helped his son when he needed it most. You turned Adrien's head, and that's not easy to do, and his father knows that! And I'm _sure_ that he's heard how wonderful you are straight from Adrien."

"You think so?" asked Marinette.

"I'd put money on it," Tikki grinned back. "Nathalie knew you on sight, so I know that _she's_ gotten an earful or twenty, and I'd imagine that most of that goes straight to Gabriel, too. What I'm saying is that I know that he'll be charmed and impressed by you. You can knock that much out of your worries about tomorrow."

"I'll try, I promise. I'll have butterflies in my stomach, but I'll keep them under control as much as I can," she replied.

* * *

Fu listened as Adrien related how Marinette and Ladybug had approached him separately, nursed his emotional wounds, and surprised him with how deep a connection each made with him.

 _"Both_ of them were my lifelines. Both of them opened up to me in ways that they never had before. Ladybug kept her identity secret - she was very serious about that, as always - but she started coming to visit me at my house, she talked me through my problems, and she told me things about herself that I could relate to _so much,"_ Adrien explained. "It was a glimpse of the girl underneath that even Chat Noir had never gotten. And Marinette... she did those same things, from a more everyday point of view. And as she did, she showed me so many reasons why I should've been in love with her all along, and I started responding."

The old man grinned. "That sounds like her," he chuckled.

"And that became... interesting," admitted Adrien. "I'd been crushing on Ladybug from almost the moment I met her. Marinette had been a very good friend from the beginning, but while getting closer to me and being my confidant, she let it slip that she'd always wanted more than that... and by that time, so did I, and we started making plans for dates together. Which shouldn't have been a problem, since I barely dared imagine that Ladybug might ever want to date _me! B_ ut the more time I spent with Ladybug, the more strangely she acted. Nervous, affectionate, a little flirty..."

Adrien sipped at his tea, then continued. "As if _she_ had a thing for _me_. And then, do you remember the night of the big storm we had the other week?"

"Mmm-hmmm," Fu confirmed.

"Ladybug and I, uh, kind of had a moment that night." Fu smiled at how red Adrien was becoming. "She admitted to me that she'd had a crush on me, the lights went out, the mood was right, and, well..."

"Most difficult to resist," smiled Fu, graciously.

" _Impossible_ to resist," blushed Adrien. "But it wasn't just physical..."

Adrien described the long conversation that they'd had afterwards about what had happened, and how concerned Ladybug had been with his emotional state and the romantic implications of the evening. If Fu either approved or disapproved, he didn't show it openly.

"She was adamant that Marinette deserved a chance to respond... but Marinette kept insisting that Ladybug did, too! They both wanted me to be the one to decide who I'd date and who would just be a very close friend, both insisting that they wouldn't be hurt either way, while both kept growing closer to me all the while."

Adrien shook his head, remembering how that had gone. "And I wasn't complaining, believe me! I've... never had much in the way of romance in my life. There have been people with crushes on me, but it had never been a person whom I was just as into. Let alone _two!_ And the very _last_ thing that I wanted to do was to hurt either one of them, especially after all they'd both done for me. So I was feeling much better than I had been before, but I still had my share of sleepless nights trying to decide what my heart truly wanted."

"I would imagine," noted Master Fu. "A man with one watch knows what time it is. A man with two watches is never sure." He let Adrien process that metaphor, then asked, "And you ended up choosing..."

"...Marinette," Adrien replied, blushing a bit more. "For one, she was more and more irresistible the more I got to know her. For another, she'd spent a very long time putting what _I_ wanted over what _she_ wanted, in so many ways. That selflessness of hers was just... There was a moment of truth, where a kindness from just after we'd met turned out to be something that she'd made for me, and she'd never told me because it was part of a mix-up that had brought my father and I closer. She held that back for my sake, even while she was still yearning for my attention. The moment that I realized that, there was no turning back! I was in love."

He laughed. "And I was at peace, at last... though still worried about what I was going to say to Ladybug. And a few hours later, peace was no longer an option."

* * *

Plagg piped up, "I found him sitting up in bed that night, looking like a deer in headlights. He'd pieced it together. I warned him that some things can't be taken back... but by that point, I couldn't do much. He knew. It was inevitable."

"It was inevitable a long time ago, Plagg," intoned Master Fu. "I didn't give them their Miraculous to make them a couple... but I predicted as soon as I saw them together that someday, they would be."

"Ladybug sure didn't think so, for a long while..." grumbled Adrien.

"You never asked Ladybug as Adrien, whom she had eyes for. Only as Chat Noir. She never asked you as Ladybug, and she couldn't get that kind of attention from you as Marinette, when she could get the nerve up to try," Plagg shrugged. "I can't say that it wasn't fun to watch sometimes."

"Please don't be angry with Marinette, Master Fu," Adrien pleaded. "She really has worked _so hard_ to keep her identity secret. She never told me as myself _or_ as Chat Noir. The clues that I pieced together to figure it out... the first two were things that she'd told me because _I_ was suffering, because she saw me in pain and wanted to help. The third one was a slip of the tongue, at a time that she was very emotional about something I'd made for her, and it almost slipped right by me. It took several days for it to register fully."

"Do I look angry? I hope that I do not," Master Fu interjected. "She is as human and as emotional as you are, and you are a most clever young man. And as I said, this is something that I had foreseen happening a long time ago."

"Then why... if you thought this was inevitable, why have you let us keep our Miraculouses?" wondered Adrien, before he could stop himself. "Isn't that far too dangerous?"

"To have two partners who genuinely care for each other, who are invested in each other's well being, who share a deep connection? Why, no, Adrien, I would never want _that_ to happen," Fu grinned. "It is certainly never a _requirement_ for the Ladybug and the Cat to become lovers. Many times over the centuries, they've stopped well short of that, and often for the better. But a strong emotional bond between the two hosts is never a bad thing."

"Let me put it another way, Adrien," continued Fu, seeing that Adrien still looked a bit startled. "When it comes to love and relationships... I am a hundred and eighty-three years old, I have never been married, I lead an ascetic lifestyle, and I live alone with a mystical turtle spirit. Do I _look_ like I'm an expert at love?"

"Well, when you put it that way..." mumbled Adrien.

"But I have learned a _few_ things, before you go too far with that line of thought," smirked Fu. "Love is a rare and precious thing. It doesn't come to you just because you ask for it, it doesn't always come where or when or from whom you want it, and it can cause great pain when it isn't mutual. So when two people do find each other, and their hearts both come alight... only a fool would not encourage it, and wish them both well."

His eyes sparkled as he watched Adrien's widen. "I have known of Marinette's feelings for you for quite some time, Adrien. And while you and I haven't talked about it personally, I've witnessed yours for Ladybug as Chat Noir, and spoken with her about that. The situation was frustrating for both of you, but it also gave you each opportunities to grow. And it led to two people who would sacrifice anything for the other's happiness, and who now have a far deeper understanding of each other. Less 'crushing,' more feeling. So, no, I am not upset that you are her partner and now know what you know. It is yet another opportunity for growth."

"Which brings me to the one thing that I _may_ fault you for, about which I will want to hear your answer," Fu continued, making Adrien's smile fade. "Given that the Miraculous you have been entrusted with is one of the most dangerous magical artifacts on the planet... something that could destroy _anything_ in the wrong hands, and one half of the combination that Hawkmoth seeks above all else..."

He stared at Adrien, pointedly, and Adrien couldn't meet his gaze as he asked, "...is it wrong of me to ask why you tried to pass it on to someone whom, as far as you knew, I have never even met?"

* * *

"Speaking of Ladybug... has Adrien tried to contact her yet?" Tikki asked Marinette. "I'd be surprised if he hasn't."

"Oh! In all the excitement, I hadn't checked today..." Marinette ran over and called up her email account that she and Adrien had used, and found a mail message waiting for her alter ego:

 **Dear Ladybug,**

 **I really need to see you... soon.**

 **I had my dinner date at Marinette's house tonight, and it went extremely well. _So_ well that... well, some things are better said in person. This isn't something that can wait, so can you let me know when you and I can get together and talk about it?**

 **You are, and always will be, so special in my eyes. It would hurt me very much to hurt you, so we need to talk about where we stand, and that we're on the same page on what we said on the night of the storm. I know how sincere you were that night, but I need to make sure, okay?**

 **(That, and the Marx Brothers are always a couple of clicks away around here, and a certain window is always unlocked.)**

 **Let me know when and where works for you. I can always make time for you. I owe you far more than I can ever repay... but I _so_ intend to try.**

 **\- Adrien**

"Oh!" Marinette caught her breath. "That dear, sweet boy..."

Tikki floated over and read the message, as well. "Good," she noted. "It looks like he's letting Ladybug down easy, and wanting to stay close friends. That's what you wanted most, right?"

"It is. And I'll make sure that he knows those feelings are mutual. His girlfriend will _certainly_ keep him busy on her own... but his Ladybug loved being close to him, too, and it would be _very_ nice if he can be a friend and confidant for me as Ladybug, like what I am as myself for Chat Noir."

Despite herself, Tikki grinned. _That could be too cute for words if it played out like that... if certain mysteries were still mysteries._

"Oh... before you talk with Adrien, there is one more thing that I'm wanting you to think about..." she added, gingerly.

* * *

Adrien flinched at Master Fu's question, feeling quite guilty. "It was a judgment call on my part," he said, "that felt to me at the time like the only thing I could do. And it _wasn't_ someone random... it was my best friend, someone whom I could vouch for, someone whom I could help train, someone that I knew had the right moral values and bravery to do a good job with it." He smiled, grimly, "As it turns out, Ladybug had already thought so, too."

Wayzz grinned at that. "As do I. Nino is a fine young man, and I do enjoy visiting with him. But I'm not quite ready to be replaced by Plagg!" he piped up.

"Had I know that, I wouldn't have... okay, had I taken more time to think, I probably would've just returned the ring to you, Master Fu, and let you choose another host for it," said Adrien, sheepishly. "Not that I had your address before today."

"I'm more interested in the _why_ than the _who_ ," Master Fu lectured. "What was your reasoning for doing this?"

At that, Adrien sat up straight, and his voice took on some urgency.

"Master, you may have anticipated that Marinette and I would reach this point someday, and I'm very happy that we have. But Marinette has a very different take on Ladybug and Chat Noir, and while I truly wish that she didn't, I can't say for sure that she's wrong!"

"Explain," Master Fu responded, simply.

"The first time that I made a sincere attempt as Chat Noir to get to know Ladybug better - to get to know the _girl_ better, not just as my costumed partner - she shut me down quickly. Nicely, sweetly, but quickly, for two reasons," explained Adrien. "One was that she had another boy in her life... and, well, now I know that he was _me!_ So that's not an obstacle, but the other reason _definitely_ still is."

Adrien took a deep breath. "She insisted that she and I would always be friends, and that she did care about me, but that she could _never_ _date_ Chat Noir. It was too important to her that our identities remain secret, because of the danger of an Akuma corrupting one and exposing both of us. So I accepted that... for the time being. I've tested the waters again several times, and I wish that I hadn't, because all that did was make her angrier every time that I did. It was selfish of me, I'll admit."

"And when she became a big part of my life as Adrien, the subject came up when we were talking, and her opinion hasn't changed. She truly cares for Chat... but she can never date _any_ Chat as long as she's Ladybug, she says." Adrien looked at Fu with sad eyes. "And what she does as Ladybug really _is_ that important, and not just to her. To all of Paris. With that creative mind and that caring heart, she's the perfect person to be Ladybug, and nothing should ever change that."

Fu noted the sadness in his voice. "Before I figured it out, when Ladybug was interested in me, I wasn't sure for a while if I could pull it off. She'd have been dating Chat Noir but not _knowing_ that I was Chat Noir, so the secrets would still be safe, you know? But once I knew that my two angels were one and the same... that was it." Adrien slumped down in his chair, hating what he was saying but needing to say it anyway. "I'm too dangerous to be Chat Noir, knowing who Ladybug really is."

Adrien's face showed considerable strain as he continued. "So there were only so many possible answers left. Marinette can't stop being Ladybug and I don't _want_ her to. If I tell her that I'm Chat Noir, she'd feel compelled to break things off between us, and that'd break both our hearts. Her sense of duty is that strong; she'd do it, but I don't want to _make_ her do it! Both because I'm in love with her and because I don't want her hurt by something I did."

"There was only one answer left that could work. I had to stop being Chat Noir, immediately. But there _has to be_ a Chat Noir, for Ladybug's sake; I won't leave her without a partner. For all I know, the next Akuma could be in the air right now! So I had to find someone who could be a new Chat Noir for her, as quickly as possible. If I had told Plagg what I was going to do, he'd have talked me out of it, so I kept him in the dark, and I'm sorry about that, buddy..."

Plagg sniffed, disdainfully, and mumbled something unintelligible under his breath.

"I mean it, Plagg! I thought of you when I decided to do this! I swear that I did," Adrien pleaded. "I wanted you to be with someone who would treat you right. Someone close by, so I could visit you as often as I could. You're not just a gadget that I use to get superpowers. You're a friend, and you know that I don't make many of those."

"But that was it, Master," he said, turning back to Master Fu. "I thought of Nino immediately as someone smart, brave and worthy of trust. Someone who could keep my secret while I helped him adjust to the role, if he accepted it. And then he mentioned his 'little green buddy' and everything blew up in my face."

Adrien held out his hand. "So that's my story. I don't know if that will make a difference to either of you, but it's why I did what I did, and it's where we're at now. If you want to take the ring back, I have no right to stop you."

He closed his eyes and waited.

* * *

"We'd talked a little bit about you putting some distance between yourself and Ladybug around Adrien, obviously... to try to keep him from guessing your secret," ventured Tikki, cautiously. "And you've done a very good job of that since then. But, here's a thought... maybe we should work out a contingency plan, for how we'll handle it if that doesn't fool him."

"Do you think that it won't?" asked Marinette. "As far as I know, it's worked this long."

"Let me put it this way," said Tikki, weighing her words carefully. "Adrien is a very smart young man... and he's about to start spending a _lot_ more time wanting to know everything about you. I think you'll find it hard to hide much of anything from him, and even harder to want to. And there are certain clues that he heard that he still might piece together. I think it's a definite possibility."

Marinette's face turned serious. "It's always a possibility, unless I'm extra-careful. And I don't know how careful I can make myself be while I'm wrapped up in his arms!" She looked at Tikki with a stern expression. "Did I make a bad call, letting him fall for me like this?"

Tikki rolled her eyes. "I want you to say that sentence out loud again, thinking hard about every word in it," she smirked.

"All right, fine, of _course_ I don't regret it, but I'm _serious!_ " lamented Marinette. "This could be very tricky for me. I know just how vital it is for me to keep my dual identity _completely secret_."

She was completely unprepared when Tikki thought for a moment, then replied, "Marinette... what if it _wasn't,_ exactly?"

* * *

At Master Fu's, Adrien remained still, his arm extended, his eyes closed tight.

A moment passed... and nothing happened...

"He is a dramatic young man, isn't he, Plagg?" he heard Master Fu ask.

"It's not always this bad," the Kwami quipped. "It's mostly when he's in _loooooove_."

Adrien reopened his eyes to see Plagg and Fu smiling at him, looking amused at Adrien's noble gesture. He withdrew his hand and made a somewhat sour face.

"If this is funny, please let me in on the joke," Adrien grumbled. "I could use a laugh about now."

Master Fu's eyes were kind in return. "I will put it very simply, Adrien. I _understand._ I am not angry with you. I have no reasons to take the ring back from you... and several reasons why I would like it to stay right where it is."

Adrien looked happier, but still confused. "You are a fine partner to Ladybug. You will be a fine boyfriend for Marinette. I would not counsel you to do anything rash to disrupt either of those relationships... yet," the old man explained. "As Ladybug, she is right to be somewhat worried; what you have discovered will complicate both of your lives. Both of _both_ of your lives. But this is not unprecedented, and it cannot be undone, so it is up to all of us to find the best path forward, and this old man needs some time to ponder what that path might be. And, perhaps, he should have a chat with a certain young lady and get her perspective on matters."

Plagg jumped in, adding, "I _told_ you, Adrien. We've had Ladybug/Chat couples before, even husband-and-wife teams on two occasions. It's not impossible."

 _"She_ thinks it's impossible. And that's what counts most to me," insisted Adrien.

"Adrien... have you ever read O. Henry's _The Gift of the Magi?_ " Master Fu asked. When Adrien shook his head negatively, Fu continued, "You should read it sometime. A marvelous short story, about two people so in love that they sell the only valuables they have to give each other a heartfelt gift. She sells most of her hair to buy a fancy watch fob chain; he sells his watch to buy combs for her beautiful long hair. I think you can see why it comes to mind right now."

"Kind of..." Adrien allowed. "I tried to give up my Miraculous for her sake..."

"...And she gave up something that she values most highly, and that she'd guarded most carefully... clues to her true self. Because she felt that she needed to, and that _you_ were worth the risk," Fu smiled. "I doubt anyone but her Adrien could've cracked that particular shell. So, I will repeat... _do nothing rash_. Not yet. Do not volunteer your own secret right away unless she asks about it, and I do not think that she would right now. As far as her secret goes... speak with her, test the waters if you like, and let her reactions be your guide. As far as she knows, Adrien is her true love and Chat is simply her platonic partner, yes? And she is happy with both situations?"

"...I've never seen her so happy," half-whispered Adrien. "And _I'm_ so happy that I'm part of that."

"Then happy is how I want _both_ of you to remain. So work out what will make her happiest... and be aware that what that is may change over time. Her situation is very different now that you are connected to her this way."

* * *

Marinette stared at Tikki... _hard_. "Tikki... you are _not_ going to leave that hanging in the air without explaining yourself. _WHAT?_ " she gasped.

"Think about this for a minute, Marinette. Let's say that Adrien _does_ figure out your secret. What are you going to do then? We can't make him forget. We can't make it disappear. When and if that does happen... what is it that you're going to do?" asked Tikki, in a gentle voice.

Marinette sat still, lost in sudden thought. "That is... that is a very good question, Tikki," she managed.

"And that's why I'm asking it. For all you know, you could meet him as Ladybug later tonight and he could greet you with 'Hello, Marinette.' Or it might happen a week from now. Or a month. Or never!" Tikki continued. "But I want you to think about how you'd want to handle that situation, especially since you and Adrien have such a strong emotional connection now. What happens after that could influence a lot of things between you."

"Well... um... if that happens, I know that I can't just _tell_ him that he's right. If I admit it, my secret identity is toast," Marinette ventured. "But I don't want to lie to his face, either!"

"And I'm not telling you to lie. I'm not telling you to run right out and tell him everything, either," noted Tikki. "If your being Ladybug remains totally secret for many years, that's wonderful! The more people who don't know, the better. But what I'm trying to say is this; if Adrien connects the dots, or connects the spots, I could say... I'm not going to be too upset about it. And it's up to _you_ whether you should be."

Tikki smiled at Marinette's surprised face. "What did you think I would tell you to do? Break up with him on the spot? Take him to Master Fu and have him brainwashed? Put him in a crate and mail him to Abu Dhabi? Your secret _is_ important, and you've done very well keeping it secret from Paris so far. But if the boy you love is as smart as we think he is... it can't be helped, can it? It wouldn't be the end of the world. And you two will have to figure out what you want to do about that, if it happens."

"I will. I'm... I'll admit that I'm a little surprised by how understanding you are about this! Even though it's _you_ , I mean," murmured Marinette. "You've always been so adamant about hiding these things."

"Chloe is an object lesson as to what can happen if you're careless with your identity. You are the complete opposite of that; I know that I can trust you," Tikki said, warmly. "And now that you're out of crush mode and you and Adrien are communicating so well... well, you know in your heart whether or not you can trust _him_ , okay? Just think about it for me before anything out of the ordinary happens, that's all I'm asking."

Marinette turned to her computer keyboard. "I promise, I'll give it some serious thought tonight. But I'd also better let my sunshine boy know that Ladybug's not ignoring him..."

* * *

"Master Fu... thank you so much. I think my head is a lot clearer now," smiled Adrien. "Especially since she's coming to my house for dinner tomorrow, and to meet my father properly..."

"Oh?" the Guardian marveled. "That could be quite an evening for her. I would imagine just how nervous she must be."

"Yeah. I mean, I already know that my father seems to approve of her, from when I've told him about her... but I'll do whatever I can to keep her comfortable."

Master Fu thought for a moment. "Do an old man one favor? What you decide to do about Ladybug's identity, I will leave largely to you... but try not to discuss Ladybug or Miraculous things in front of others until things settle down. I mean, if it comes up at the dinner table for some reason, try to steer the conversation away from our spotted friend."

To Adrien's raised eyebrow, Fu added, "It's not that I do not trust you to say the right things! But your emotions are flowing freely right now, both with love and with confusion. Let that cauldron stop bubbling over before you stir it again. Less chance of anything slipping out that way."

 _And I'm still not entirely sure what to make of your father,_ thought Fu, _but you have enough worries right now._

"Even Nino?" asked Adrien.

"Nino, you may talk with, if you're both careful. In fact, now that he is unexpectedly in our inner circle, I'd encourage that, and I would like to meet him myself," mused Master Fu.

"I can help arrange that. I'll let you decide the when and where-"

A buzz from his phone distracted Adrien momentarily. "Speak of the devil," he smiled, "it's an email from Ladybug. She'd set up a private email address just for me."

Fu looked amused, while Adrien scanned its contents. "The marvels of this modern age," he chuckled.

"I, uh, am even happier now that I spoke with you this afternoon!" Adrien said. "Ladybug would like to meet with me tonight and talk about where we stand. I don't know that I would've been fully prepared on my own."

"And are you now?" asked Fu.

"'Fully' is open for debate... but I'm in a better place than I was. I'll follow her lead and see how she plays it. Thank you for helping me figure this out."

"I am glad that I could help. Do remember, of course, that while I am available when you are in great need... secrecy is still quite important," Fu reminded him. "No costumes at my front door, should you need to return, and it's best to call ahead."

"Thank you, Master," Plagg echoed. "Any chance that I can take a vacation now? I feel like I've been run through a blender over the last 24 hours."

"Would a stop at a cheese shop on our way home suffice?" Adrien asked him. "As the start of my apology."

"It's... a good start," grinned Plagg. "How much cheese do you think you can carry?"

* * *

At dinner, Marinette described the reactions that she and Adrien had received at school. As pleasant as they had been, Sabine watched her daughter with a practiced eye. _Something's got her a little bit edgy, for some reason,_ she thought.

"Is everything all right, Marinette?" she asked.

"Sure! What wouldn't be?" her daughter replied.

"You just look like something's on your mind, that's all," Sabine said, dryly. "It wasn't that Chloé again, was it?"

"Actually, no! Adrien talked with her before we went into class. He's known her long before she started tormenting me... the poor boy... and, well, he wanted to make sure that she kept it together. He said they reached an understanding, and she's not going to bother us," explained Marinette. "If there's anything making me nervous, it's my dinner date tomorrow night. Adrien, I could spend _years_ next to, but meeting his father like this is... kind of scary."

"Well, think of it this way," smiled Tom. "Adrien did it first, and look at me! I'm huge and intimidating. Gabriel Agreste is a skinny little thing."

"You're as intimidating as a cream puff, dear," Sabine chuckled. "You have the size, but you're far too sweet. Mr. Agreste, on the other hand, has a reputation to uphold."

"And my daughter will dismantle that reputation in short order," Tom declared. "She's a young and beautiful aspiring designer whose talent he's seen up close, and she's captivated his son. It's a wonder that he hasn't been here trying to recruit her yet."

"Let's not go _too_ far with the designer angle, Dad. I designed one hat," said Marinette.

"Still, I cannot imagine anything about you that he wouldn't like at first glance," insisted Tom. "Be confident and gracious and he'll be wrapped around your little finger, just like Adrien is."

"I hope so. I just don't want to make a fool of myself; I can be good at that sometimes," smiled Marinette, shyly. "I might go out for a walk tonight and settle my nerves a bit, though, since it's not as bitter cold out as last night was."

"Sure, if it'll help," Sabine replied. "Just don't stay out too late, okay?"

"I promise."

 _And that gets me free to go out as Ladybug tonight,_ Marinette smiled to herself. _So far, so good._

 _Now, what I'm going to say when I get there... _that's_ got my mind spinning._

* * *

A short while later, Adrien paced back and forth in his bedroom, one eye on his bedroom window at all times. Behind him, he heard tiny, muffled sounds of gluttony and culinary agony.

"This Pont l'Eveque is _fabulous!_ I don't think I could eat another bite... mostly because it's gone now..." mumbled Plagg, in a state of gastronomic bliss. "Monks invented this cheese in the 12th century. Did you know that? I was there. Now, on to the Brocciu... there's a fun legend about this kind..."

"If you eat all that cheese I bought in one sitting, you're going to balloon up to the size of a football," Adrien chided him.

"I'll take that chance," Plagg replied, self-satisfied. "That cheese shop is _so_ going on our places-to-visit-often list!"

"Not _too_ often, okay? Even I only get so much spending cash at a time," smiled Adrien. "And I have a new girlfriend to spoil _rotten."_

"Are you... okay with tonight?" managed Plagg, in between bites. "What you're going to say to Ladybug?"

"I think so," mused Adrien. "If we go out somewhere, are you coming?"

"Can I stay here? I'll be able to move again in about an hour, maybe," Plagg moaned. "But it was _so worth it!"_

"All right. If there's an Akuma or something, I'll have Ladybug drop me off here, and I'll know where to find you," Adrien answered, as he went back to pacing back and forth. "Just stay out of sight, okay?"

"Don't I always? If anyone comes in and I'm visible, I'll just pretend to be a paperweight."

A rustle at the window sent Plagg waddling out of sight and Adrien's attention across the room.

* * *

Ladybug watched Adrien turn her way, saw the instant smile on his face, and forced herself to not run across the room and into his arms.

"Hey, you," she greeted him. "It's great to see you!"

"It's wonderful to see _you_ again," Adrien smiled back.

 _More than you can possibly know,_ he thought. _Now that I know the truth, when I look at you... those eyes, that hair, your voice, those gentle curves, that costume accentuating every one of them, the way you move, that look on your face... oh, Marinette, now I absolutely know for _sure_ that you're here right now. That the girl I love is the girl I was in love with._

 _H_ _ow did I never make the connection before?_

 _And my knowing your secret identity doesn't make you any less alluring or beautiful. It makes you that much _more_..._

"What?" giggled Ladybug, her hand on her hip. "You're looking at me like I'm dolled up in my prom dress, or something."

"Oh! I'm sorry," blushed Adrien, his hand going behind his head nervously. "I'm just... well, a lot of crazy things have been happening lately, _good_ things, I promise, and I'm just... I'm all over the place inside. How have you been?"

"Very well, thank you. No Akumas lately, so this is the first time I've put the spots on in a while," Ladybug replied. "And you don't need to apologize. I can tell just by the look on your face how emotional you are, and if it's for the reason why I think it is, I'm thrilled!"

"I... think that it is," Adrien said, his face betraying some anxiety. "And I _really_ want to talk with you about it. Do you want to talk here, or should we go somewhere together?"

"It's a nice night out tonight. Would you like to go out to the park again?" asked Ladybug. "Grab a light jacket, I'm driving."

"With you? I'd go anywhere," Adrien beamed. He pulled on a jacket, joined Ladybug by the window, and with a yo-yo toss, they were gone.

 _Heh. Those kids are something else,_ Plagg thought to himself. _I was beginning to think that they'd never get around to smooching, but for once I can say 'thank you' to Adrien's dad for something! Even if that was him being a royal pain for weeks on end._

Footsteps out in the hall drew Plagg's attention. _You know what?_ _Speak of the devil, that's got to be Gabriel,_ he thought. _I'm not so bloated that I can't sneak around a little. Since_ _Tikki's coming here tomorrow night... I found some really weird stuff last night. I think I might just follow him for a while and see if he'll show me how it works!_

* * *

The pair settled in at a picnic table in the park, very close to where they'd had their first heart-to-heart talk not long ago. The clouds had parted, the full moon shone brightly above them, and Adrien felt a nervous thrill running through his body.

 _What a perfect romantic moment... out with my girlfriend in the park, under the stars... except that she doesn't know that I know that it's her, and I'm here to break it to her that I won't be dating the OTHER 'her!' And she doesn't know that her boyfriend sitting across from her is also one guy she won't date._

He chuckled quietly to himself as they each debated how to start. _This_ _really IS insane, isn't it?_ he thought. _But she has to be really nervous, too; she's been juggling her identities with me and now she's got to be wondering what comes next and how I'll react. I do hope that I can make this easy on both of us... and that I can keep myself from using her real name!_

"So... you said you think you know the reason we're here tonight?" he ventured, cautiously.

"Well, I _hope_ some of it's because you like the company! I mean, I play taxi, I come and visit, I inspire piano music, I try to smell nice..." she teased him, playfully.

"You really do, just so you know! There's a certain... well, whatever fragrance you use, it's just wonderful," Adrien replied, hoping that he wasn't making things awkward by saying so out loud. "And that window will _always_ be open, and you'll always be a welcome visitor. Trust me on that."

"Buuuuuut... you and Marinette are an item now?" asked Ladybug, in a light voice.

"We are," admitted Adrien. "We _so_ are. I had supper with her family last night, and afterwards a certain secret came out, and I was just... I couldn't... I couldn't have stopped myself if I'd wanted to. She was completely irresistible and things hit me all at once, and we kissed and kissed and grinned our heads off, and we made it official later on the phone."

He watched Ladybug's face, hoping that she wouldn't feel the need to feign crying or breaking down... but her bright smile indicated some different feelings. "Adrien... I am so happy for you two. Honest, I am! You two are perfect together, I'm sure of it."

"You really think so?" asked Adrien. "I'm trying to imagine how you, of all people, could think so right now." _At least while you're acting as Ladybug. I have to keep up the facade that you're two different people for now!_

"Because I've seen how she looks at you, how she acts around you, the things she says to you. She's been in love with you for a very long time, Adrien. I knew that before you did," Ladybug replied, her eyes shining. "And I can see it in your face right now, when you talk about her, or when we've talked about her other times. I can't be jealous of something that's just so _right!_ "

"But I... Ladybug, I've never been in a situation anything like this before. I don't know what to say," Adrien said, quietly. "If you really are okay with this, I'm... kind of amazed... but I'll want to stay close with _you_ for the rest of my life. You are an incredible person and a dear friend, and I don't want that to change. I love that you want to be close with me. And if I've hurt you by my choice, well... I'm so sorry. Hurting you was never anything I'd want to do."

"Does it sting a little? Well, sure, it does," said Ladybug. "You were my first crush, and my first kiss, and I was yours, and nothing will ever take that away from us. We'll always have the night of the storm, and I hope that we'll have a lot more movie nights and fun times together!" She kept her voice steady and calm as she proceeded. "But I'm also realistic. I'm Ladybug, but I'm also the girl underneath... and I'm the girl underneath a _lot_ more than I'm Ladybug. You are wonderful, too, Adrien... and I don't want you to have a girlfriend who can only be there for you a few minutes at a time, or who can't go places in public with you, or who has to disappear sometimes when you need her most."

"I really could've gotten past all of that. I'm sure of it," Adrien told her.

"But you shouldn't have to. Not when someone who can be by your side so much more thinks so highly of you, and you of her," Ladybug soothed him. "And I would _love_ to be a part of your life even if it's not as your girlfriend. You know that, I've told you that before. And if _this_ girl meets someone in her private life who looks at her the way that you look at Marinette... it'll be her turn to be the luckiest girl there is."

Adrien gave her a look of complete adoration at that... and, inside, Marinette tried hard not to turn into a puddle on the spot. _Yeah, that look right there,_ she giggled to herself.

"You know, I've never shared as much of my private self with _anyone_ but you, and even then I've had to leave so much out," Ladybug beamed. "I think you'd be amazed at just how ordinary my life really is."

"It's... funny that you should say that now..." replied Adrien, before he could stop himself.

* * *

Plagg floated up to the ceiling, staying some distance behind Gabriel, ready to pop through the wall instantly if Gabriel turned around or if someone else approached. _I'm not afraid of security cameras, because they can't pick me up,_ he reasoned, _but if Nathalie or the Gorilla comes along, I don't want to get caught out in the open._

For a while, Gabriel went about quite everyday activities; rustling around in the kitchen, rummaging through a file cabinet in a side office, a bathroom break...

 _Okay, even I'M not following him in_ there, chuckled Plagg. _And if he has some deep dark secret that only comes out in the bathroom, he can keep it._

Ten minutes of aerial surveillance turned into twenty... then thirty...

Just before Plagg was ready to give up and go and crash in Adrien's room, he watched Gabriel walk into the foyer where he'd found the hidden elevator platform the night before. _Well, HELLO!_ thought Plagg, watching carefully as Gabriel stood before the portrait of his wife, as if studying it... then pushed hidden buttons on it, causing the platform to whisk him away down through the floor.

 _Veeeery interesting._

Plagg followed it down, carefully... counting on the darkness in the shaft to keep his black form from being seen. Gabriel reached the point where Plagg had found the hidden room, but the elevator kept going, still further down.

 _Another hidden passage?_ Plagg wondered. _TWO secrets?_

He floated downwards where he heard the elevated platform heading, having no idea whatsoever what he was going to find.

* * *

For the first time in a long time, Adrien looked at Ladybug's face and saw actual fear in her eyes. "What... what do you mean by that, Adrien?" she asked him.

Adrien gulped, realizing that he'd slipped. _I need to cover for this, as best I can._

"Ladybug, there's something that I need to tell you," he began. "Something that I realized last night..."

 _Oh, no,_ thought Ladybug. _Tikki was right! And now, _everything_ changes._

Thoughts ran through her mind at a million miles an hour, trying to prepare for what she'd hear from him next, and how to respond...

* * *

Plagg emerged into a room that took his breath away... both from its beauty and from the sheer audacity of something this large being hidden beneath the mansion. It was a spacious repository, a huge room with an arched ceiling, almost like the inside of a cathedral. A catwalk ran down the center, and Plagg watched as Gabriel approached something that was lit up at the far end of the room.

 _This is _really_ weird,_ thought Plagg. _Constructing this must have cost a _fortune_ - especially underground like this! Who even takes contracts for building "two secret rooms, one of them gigantic, with a hidden elevator platform connecting them to the main house?" Batman wishes he had stuff like this._

 _Okay. So he's very rich _and_ very weird. But that still leaves a very big question; is he rich, weird and up to no good, or is he just a fruit loop with weird hobbies?_

Plagg watched as Gabriel knelt down in front of some kind of large container, speaking quietly. The Kwami floated a little closer to try to make out what it was, then let out a tiny gasp of recognition.

 _That's a COFFIN!_

 _Isn't it?_

 _It HAS to be!_ _There's a blonde woman inside it. That's not a mannequin or a puppet or something, she's REAL!_

 _She... looks like the woman in the portrait. Is that Adrien's mother?_

 _Is she dead?_

 _Or... well, if she was dead, wouldn't he have buried her? Maybe she's frozen or something?_

 _Holy CRAP and a HALF._

Plagg managed to make out a small part of what Gabriel was saying to the woman, who was (quite naturally) unresponsive.

"Your deliverance is nearly at hand," Gabriel murmured. "I can feel it. All of the pieces of my plan are nearly in place..."

 _Okay, THAT is a lot of things. NONE of them GOOD!_ worried Plagg.

Feeling panicky, he darted straight up through the ceiling and ground, emerging a short distance outside the mansion's main body. As he worked his way back inside and up to Adrien's room, the Kwami broke out in a cold sweat, a sensation that he was unaccustomed to feeling. He felt creeped out in places where he hadn't been sure that he had places.

 _What in the world am I going to tell Adrien?_

 _And HOW?_

 _'Oh, hey, kid, I found a secret auditorium deep beneath your house, and your dad has your dead mom boxed up down there. But don't worry, I didn't get a really good look; she might just be frozen."_

 _I think I need that vacation after all.  
_

As it happens, he might've flown straight to Adrien's computer and booked an island getaway on the spot, had he known that his surveillance had not gone completely without notice.

* * *

Adrien looked into the eyes of his beloved...

 _She's not ready. I can see that she's not. At least not yet._

 _But I have to say _something_..._

"Ladybug, I need to be careful how I phrase this..." he began. "I was thinking about you last night, and all of a sudden... I'm not sure why, necessarily... a couple of things that you'd told me made sense together. I'm incredibly flattered that you've given me little glimpses of your private life, and I know just how much that truly means for you to have done. But I kind of realized..."

He trailed off, until Ladybug's eyes pleaded with him to continue.

"...that I know a little more about the girl underneath than I thought I did."

Adrien took a very deep breath.

"You told me that the boy you had a crush on was always me. But you'd told me that the boy you had a crush on was someone you knew _without_ your mask, and a friend of yours. So, if both of those statements are true..." he asked, his own eyes very wide.

Silently, Ladybug nodded. _I'm caught, at last._

"...then we know each other. The real you is someone who knows me personally. Someone whom I would know if I saw her unmasked."

She closed her eyes. _Well, like Tikki said, this isn't the end of the world, right? I'd trust Adrien with just about anything. Well, I'm about to find out if I'm right about that!_

"Adrien... you're right. I do know you, and you know me, and my face would be familiar to you... and I guess that it's finally time for me to prove that."

* * *

Both of them started to speak at the same time.

"Spots-"

"Ladybug, listen to me for a moment, please?"

She nodded, holding back the fateful syllable just before it escaped her lips.

"Now, just so you know... I know a lot of people," said Adrien, with a guileless smile.

Ladybug blinked, twice, trying to figure out what had just happened. _What does he mean by that?_

 _"_ Between school, modeling, my father's business, all the people that I've met here or there... well, underneath that costume, you could be any of an _awful lot of people_ that I know, couldn't you? Paris alone has millions of people in it," Adrien continued. "And if you're ever ready to tell me which of those people you are... I will be here, ready to listen, and happy to keep your secret for as long as you need me to. But I want _you_ to feel in control of that."

It sank in for her... and, suddenly, she was in his arms, hugging him tightly.

"I want you to know," she whispered in his ear, "that if there is anyone on Earth that I would ever tell... it would be you. You mean that much to me. I swear that you do, and I've been thinking hard about doing it."

"It doesn't have to be tonight," he whispered back. "I'm not going anywhere."

"You'd better not be," said Ladybug. "Because I need you, Adrien. So much."

"Right now, Ladybug..." Adrien smiled, "that's all that I _need_ to know."

 _I still think that I'm swimming into dangerous waters, remaining Chat Noir and knowing what I know,_ Adrien thought to himself, _but Master Fu was right. If the time's not right, and this is what makes her happiest for now... this is how things need to be._

* * *

The conversation continued for a little while longer, defusing the tension with light chatter and jokes, until Adrien noted that he was starting to get cold. Once his discomfort was known, Ladybug scooped him up and swung him back to his bedroom.

"Are we okay, Ladybug? I mean, completely okay?" Adrien asked her, with earnest eyes. "I don't want you to leave yet if we're not."

"I really think that we are," Ladybug smiled back. "I feel like I'm doing this wrong, or something... aren't teenage romances breaking off supposed to have yelling and crying and all that? But I'm not hurt, and I'm not jealous at all. I have my place in your life, and that's what I wanted most of all. And I know that Marinette will treat you _so_ well, and I'm so happy for both of you. She's the luckiest girl in Paris."

"Wait, _Ladybug_ isn't the luckiest girl in Paris? I thought you had that officially trademarked," teased Adrien, lightly.

"I'm fine with a close second place, when it's for a good cause," she giggled.

The two shared a long and close hug - one that neither of them honestly felt like ending - and then Ladybug stepped outside and swung off into the night.

Adrien leaned out and watched her as she vanished over the rooftops, then turned back to the middle of the room with a sigh of relief. "Wow," he exhaled, "that went _so much_ better than it might've. Plagg, you're in luck; it looks like you're stuck with me for a while longer."

Hearing no response, he leaned over to peek into Plagg's usual hideouts in his room. He found Plagg in a dark cubbyhole on his desk, barely visible except for his eyes. "Hey, are you okay, buddy?" he asked, with concern.

"Um... too much cheese. That must be it," Plagg replied, a little weakly. "Yeah, that's it."

" _You_ can eat too much cheese?" marveled Adrien, not fully believing that it was possible.

"Beats me. Maybe it's just been too long since I've had that kind."

"Is there anything I can do for you? Does Pepto-Bismol work on Kwamis?" asked Adrien.

"N-nah. I'll be okay. I'm just gonna rest for a while. You get some sleep, too... I have a feeling that tomorrow night will be one to remember," Plagg ventured.

Not long after, the lights went out, and Adrien drifted off to what he hoped would be dreams of his Maribug...

...and Plagg sat very still for hours, his eyes wide open, trying to figure out what he could possibly do or say.

* * *

Next time:

* Frantic fashion choices.

* " _That_ was an interesting reaction..."

* "What have you been smoking? Old tennis shoes?"

* "How can you _BOTH_ be... oh dear, oh dear, oh dear."

* "Your table awaits."


	17. Love at First and Second Sight

Someone To Watch Over Me, Chapter 17: Love at First and Second Sight

* * *

A lithe scarlet figure swung effortlessly over the city of Paris, leaping and running from building to building, finally coming to rest atop a bank about halfway to her house.

A cry of "Spots off!" caught her faithful Kwami somewhat by surprise. Tikki popped into view and examined Marinette, who was pacing nervously around the rooftop.

"Are you okay, Marinette?" Tikki asked, looking rather concerned by the unusual pit stop. "Why did we stop here?"

"I needed a minute to collect my thoughts and talk this out. Tikki... when you're right, you're _right_ ," replied Marinette, sounding agitated. "It was like you knew exactly what Adrien was going to say. If you hadn't prepared me earlier, I don't want to know how freaked out I would have been."

"Well, I wouldn't say that you were _completely_ calm, cool, and collected," chided Tikki. "One more syllable, and..."

Marinette flopped down to a seated position, curling up into an upright ball. "I panicked, okay? I _know_ I did," she moaned. "I've been hiding this dual identity for so long that even though I had an idea that it was coming, it's still one heck of a shock to hear someone hint to you that they _know._ Especially _that_ someone."

She looked up at Tikki, who was holding back a response. "He _does_ know! I'm sure that he does now. And it's sweet of him to pretend that he doesn't for sure, and that revealing myself is up to me... but he _so_ knows," she added. "I just thought... well, if you _are_ telling me to my face that you know who I am, Adrien, I'm not going to lie to you or run and hide."

"It is... a very strong possibility," allowed Tikki. "Which is why I warned you like I did. So, the question is... how do you want to handle this? At least you know that he'll be responsible with the knowledge; he won't run out and tell anyone what he knows about you. You shouldn't _have to_ run and hide."

"And I don't want to, either. But he'll be right there next to me tomorrow morning, giving me those eyes. I guess that I need to figure out how I'm going to respond," parried Marinette.

"With love in your eyes, like always?" Tikki giggled. "If you're both going to leave that issue unspoken for now, you don't have to change a thing as yourself yet. But you do have a lot of things to consider now, more than ever. I bet that there's someone who'd like to talk to you about them."

Marinette thought for a moment, then nodded in recognition. "Yeah, Master Fu probably ought to know about this. I don't know how happy he's going to be about it," she said.

"I think that he might surprise you, Marinette," replied Tikki. "Or at least I wouldn't want you feeling afraid to approach him about this. He's known that you've had a huge soft spot for Adrien for quite some time now, so it's not like this should catch him by too much surprise."

"You're right. It's late enough tonight that I'm not going to bother him now, though, and tomorrow I'm going to be just a _little bit_ occupied," Marinette grinned, "so maybe I'll stop by on Friday after school and see if he has time to talk then."

"That sounds good. Is that enough to get you home in one piece?" asked Tikki.

"Yeah, it is. I just needed to get my legs to stop shaking... thank you, Tikki," she smiled. "Spots on."

* * *

A few minutes later, Ladybug dropped down through the hatch into her bedroom and transformed back to Marinette once more.

"Now, this is a more comfortable place to talk, isn't it?" Tikki asked. "A lot warmer, too."

"I can't argue with that," agreed Marinette. "Okay, so let's work this out... Adrien knows, but he's playing it cool. So until one of us decides to say it out loud, my behavior doesn't have to change that much, right?"

"If there's an Akuma... well, then you'll have to work that into the equation," noted Tikki. "Imagine that you're in class when it happens. You'll need to disappear while everyone is watching... but now including one person who knows who you are and where you'd be going and why. He'll want to cover for you, but you'll need to get your stories straight. And if you both disappear, and people assume that you two are curled up in the janitor's closet..."

"...We'd probably get a round of applause from everyone but Ms. Bustier?" Marinette laughed. "But I see your point. Same Adrien, but if I have to transform, I'll make sure to consider how to handle him then. But how is _he_ likely to react, Tikki, even without Akumas? Like, tomorrow morning, he'll be walking to school knowing that he's really holding Ladybug's hand."

"How was he just now, in his room with you, knowing that it was really Marinette appearing at his window?" Tikki asked, lightly. "He seemed like he had it under control then. You've had lots of practice time pretending that Ladybug and Marinette are different people. If Adrien is also... comfortable separating multiple personas in his mind," she continued, suppressing a giggle, "you should be all right in the short term. I think."

"I sure hope so," shuddered Marinette. "I'm getting ready for the biggest dinner date of my life, and all I need is Adrien and I babbling nervously at each other with his father staring at us..."

"Don't stress over that yet," instructed Tikki. "Look... message Adrien tonight, if you want to, or wait and see if he messages you. Get some sleep. Walk with him to school tomorrow and see how you both react. If things end up being crazy, you two will have time to work it out before dinner. If things seem pretty normal, you'll go to Adrien's house, meet his father properly, and charm the socks off him while Adrien gazes at you adoringly. But nothing you can do will make Adrien think any less of you.""

"Hmmm," Marinette pondered. "You know, I might wait and see if he reaches out tonight... because I'd imagine that he's just as nervous as I am right now, and I don't want to pressure him! And he doesn't have a Kwami like you around to give him good advice."

Somehow, Tikki kept herself from either laughing or screaming at that. She wasn't sure which was more appropriate.

* * *

Plagg, on the other hand, didn't have that dilemma; screaming would've been his very clear choice.

He watched Adrien prepare for bed, then stare at his phone for a moment, weighing his options. "I'll keep it close in case she messages me, but if she doesn't, I'll let her recover tonight," he said quietly, just loud enough for Plagg to hear. "That had to be quite a shock for her."

"Just a bit," managed Plagg.

Once the lights were out and Adrien settled down to sleep, Plagg flew in slow circles around the room, settling on a secluded spot tucked away in Adrien's bookshelf. He had quite a bit on his mind.

 _This is... this is a nightmare,_ the Kwami thought. _I knew that Adrien's dad was strange. I didn't think he was keeping his wife's body in a hidden sub-basement!_

 _Okay..._

 _Okay. Hold it together, for the kid's sake. You've been around him long enough to know that he knows _nothing_ about any of this. It's gonna be your job to protect him from the implications... somehow._

 _What do I tell him? I can't just, like, take him down there. I have a vague idea of how the elevator thing works, but if his dad is that secretive about this, he could, I don't know... have a tracker on when the elevator's used, or sound an alarm if the wrong buttons get pressed, or something like that. Or we could be down there and his father could pick that moment to go visit, and Adrien's, like, "Oh, hello, Father..." Or Gabriel could just wonder why there's someone screaming down in his little hideaway._

 _And that's just the tip of the iceberg,_ fretted Plagg. _If that was his mother, and I'm like 99% sure that it was, the kid is going to FREAK OUT when he sees her there and I can't blame him one bit. That's years-of-psychotherapy territory. I _have_ to talk to Tikki to figure out how to finesse this before I even hint anything to Adrien, for his own good. Maybe she'll have better ideas than I do, 'cause I've got zilch._

 _Then there was that other bit... about "her deliverance nearly at hand" and "pieces of his plan,"_ Plagg recalled. _I don't know what that means... but I don't like it at all. Creepy isn't quite the word for it._

 _Could there be a rational explanation? I mean, maybe there's some kind of weird medical treatment he's got her lined up for. Maybe he's not a serial killer or a James Bond villain come to life._

 _And maybe I can shoot elephants out of my butt._

* * *

Thursday morning arrived on schedule, and the first rays of sunshine found their way to a pair of nervous teenagers in their respective bedrooms.

Wrapped up in a towel with another one turbaned around her head, Marinette stood in front of her closet, burrowing through the clothes within. "Tikki... I need your opinion," she called. "As far as tonight's dinner date goes... I'm still figuring out what I should wear."

Tikki flew over, attentively... and was stunned by a rapid-fire barrage of outfits mix-and-matched by her young host. "Okay! I've always liked this top and these pants together... or maybe _this_ blouse instead... do you think the teal goes with that? Or should I wear pants? I mean, of _course_ I should wear pants, I'm not going there half-naked, but, I mean, do you think a skirt is more appropriate? And how long should it-"

 _"Marinette!_ Breathe," suggested Tikki. "You have a school outfit to pick out first, don't you?"

"Oh, right," Marinette snapped back, her focus shifting. "Should I just go with the same old thing? He seems to like me in that. Or I could pick out something different, but if I do, will he think that I'm _trying_ to distract him from-"

" _MARINETTE."_

A sigh escaped Marinette's lips, coupled with a slight smile, as she sank down to her knees. "I know, I know. I'm hopeless. But this could be a very big morning for me... and it _will_ be a very big night," she said.

"Treat the morning like any other morning... unless you've decided to confirm for him right away that it isn't," noted Tikki. "And as for tonight... I've been thinking about that." She floated forward and tugged at one particular item. "How about this one?" she asked.

" _That_ one? You really think so?" boggled Marinette. "But I'm... that's kind of still a work in progress..."

"All the more reason to choose it. You're proud of the work you've done on it so far, right?" Tikki asked, brightly. "I know what you used as inspiration for your alterations - and so will Mr. Agreste. It looks beautiful on you, and it's a little wink in his direction that you're a young and aspiring designer. It's fancy enough for a dinner date, but not overwhelmingly formal. And Adrien won't know what hit him when he sees you in it."

Tikki watched the gears turning in Marinette's mind, and saw her warming up to the idea somewhat. "It would... Tikki, let me think about this, okay?" she managed. "It's not a bad idea, and... it _could_ work like you said... but I'd have to work up a lot of nerve to wear it in front of Mr. Agreste."

"Give it some thought. We'll talk it out some more when you come home from school. And as for school, I'd suggest you go in more than a towel. At least put on some underwear... or your relationship with Adrien really _is_ going to change."

"And then I'd have to move to Mongolia and become a goatherder under an assumed name," Marinette blushed. "Okay, I'm getting my things together now..."

* * *

Adrien spent enough extra time in front of his mirror, perfecting every detail, that he expected razzing from Plagg. When it didn't happen, he turned his head to look for his diminutive friend.

"Hey, Plagg? Are you all right?" he called. "You didn't look so hot last night. If anyone should've been staring at the ceiling all night, it should've been me."

The tiny cat floated into view, with a slight wobble in his flight path. "Yeah, I'm here," Plagg mumbled. "Are you cool with what you're going to do this morning?"

Adrien stared intently at Plagg, looking concerned. "You first," Adrien said. "Anything that I should know about?"

 _Oh, just a little thing..._ thought Plagg. "I'm fine, I'm fine. I was dealing with worse cheese hangovers than this centuries before you were born."

"Do you want to stay home today?" asked Adrien. "I think I'll be all right with Marinette this morning, and if it turns out that I'm not, it'll be about _her_ secret, not mine..."

"And if an Akuma shows up, then what do you do?" retorted Plagg. "Besides, I need to talk with Tikki, and school will be as good a place as any to sneak off and do that. We need to get our stories straight as much as you and Marinette do. So if you look in your bag and I'm not there..."

"...Don't panic, because you're not far away," agreed Adrien. "You make a good point. Do I look okay?"

"You look fine," Plagg assured him. "Like you need grooming advice from me."

"I can't groom the way that you do, anyway," teased Adrien, mimicking trying to lick his own limbs.

"Yeah, don't do that," grumbled Plagg, holding his head. "Not a mental image that I need today."

* * *

At breakfast, Tom watched his daughter's visible undercurrent of nervousness, and held back from even affectionate teasing. "Tonight still has you worked up, hmm?" he asked, in a kind tone.

 _Yeah, let's go with that,_ thought Marinette. "It does," she replied. "I think that it's going to go just fine... but I'll still be twitchy until it's happened."

"Do you really think that your young man would leave you in a spot where you were uncomfortable?" Tom asked, lightly. "I think that he'd rather eat a broom than let that happen."

Marinette's face went blank for a moment. In her mind's eye, she pictured the night before, the chill running down her spine as it became clear that Adrien knew her true identity beneath her mask... followed by a sweet smile and a reassuring tone in his voice. _I've got you,_ that manner said to her. _I'll protect you, like you've protected me. I'm following your lead. Nothing bad's going to happen to you on my watch._

A smile returned to Marinette's face. "You know... I'm pretty sure that you're absolutely right about that," she replied.

"And if for some strange reason, I am not... and things do go down some path you don't like... I'm on call, okay?" Tom assured her. "One phone call, and I'll be there to pick you up. I'll climb the gates if I have to."

That brought his daughter's giggle back. "I'm really hoping that that won't be necessary... but thank you, Dad. That's a nice offer to have in my back pocket."

A voice from downstairs got their attention. "Marinette, you have company!" her mother called up the stairs.

Marinette gulped down her tea, then smiled, "That's my cue."

She pecked her father on the cheek as she passed by him. As she reached the top of the stairs, her father called to her, "You've got this. One look in your eyes - or in his - tells me all I need to know about that."

"One way to find out," Marinette grinned, then took the steps two at a time.

* * *

Adrien's small talk with Marinette's mother stopped abruptly as he heard the approaching footsteps on the stairs.

A little thrill ran through him, part happy anticipation, part worry; _Is this going to get weird?_ he wondered, privately. _Is there going to be tension in the air? Things ended pretty well last night, or at least I thought so, but she's had time to sleep on it and worry about it. Will she..._

And, all of a sudden, she was there, and in one glance... his world made sense again, at least for the moment.

 _Costume or not, Ladybug or Marinette, I have one job - to protect that smile._

 _Always._

* * *

Marinette hit the room with her nerves jangling, wondering how Adrien would react to her this time.

 _He seemed happy enough when I left... so concerned about me... but this had to be the shock of a lifetime for him and he's spent the night thinking about it. And now, here I am, maskless this time, and I don't know how he's going to look at me. Is he..._

 _...Oh!_

The adoring, peaceful look on his face popped her bubble of worry in a heartbeat... and she wasn't entirely sure that she wasn't floating off the ground. Possibly on a small pink cloud.

* * *

Sabine watched with growing curiosity as Marinette and Adrien seemed completely transfixed by each other. Slowly, they moved together in the center of the bakery floor, seemingly forgetting all else around them. It was several seconds before either one could speak. From her vantage point, several feet away behind a counter, Sabine's motherly radar pinged loudly.

"Hi," breathed Marinette, her eyes wide and bright.

"Hi," Adrien smiled back. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Yeah, I think so. I'm not sure, I was asleep when it happened," she giggled. "How about you?"

"Pretty well. Some nice dreams. I had this one really good one about a beautiful girl having dinner with me tonight," Adrien replied, now grinning.

"Oh, really? I hope I'll get to meet her soon," purred Marinette.

Adrien offered his arm to her, which she gladly took. The pair headed for the door, waving to her as they left, Adrien too distracted to remember the croissant waiting for him in a white bag on the counter; Sabine walked over and returned it to its original place on the tray... and remained there, deep in thought.

* * *

 _Now, I _know_ that these two weren't together necking last night..._ Sabine mused. _Marinette was home all night. I was in the living room with Tom; she couldn't have snuck out either door, or have him sneak in, without us noticing. And, frankly, they're both too innocent for anything _too_ wild to have happened, anyway._

 _And yet... SOMETHING significant happened just now. This reunion was an emotional MOMENT for them._

 _WHY was it such a moment for them? As much or more so than yesterday was?_

 _I mean, their dating relationship is two days old and they're looking at each other like THAT right now. They were happy and giggly yesterday morning. Just now, they were... they were more lovestruck than they were the night they became a couple!_

 _Did they fight over the phone, perhaps, and this was their make-up time? I don't think so; they both seem far too happy with each other, there was nothing lingering there. Did they use the L-word for the first time? Maybe something they know about their date tonight?_

She smiled, remembering what it was like for her to be young and in love and riding an emotional rollercoaster.

 _I do hope that before she goes tonight, she'll tell me what that was all about,_ thought Sabine. _I shouldn't probe too deeply if she doesn't._

 _Though digging into that will be awfully hard to resist..._

* * *

Marinette and Adrien strolled down the sidewalk towards the school, taking a now-familiar detour to buy more time to talk without either of them deliberately saying so. Again, it took a little while for either of them to find words, though their physical closeness indicated how content each was to be there.

They spoke at the same time:

"How was your nigh-?" began Marinette.

"I wanted to tell-" began Adrien.

Both stopped, not wanting to interrupt the other. They said "You first!" simultaneously, then both broke into laughter.

"Okay, we're still working the kinks out of this 'talking' thing," giggled Marinette. "You go ahead."

"If you're sure," Adrien said. "For one thing, I wanted to make sure you weren't mad that I didn't call or text last night..."

"No, that was fine," Marinette assured him. "I didn't exactly burn your phone up, either. I had some things that I needed to get done, and I know how busy your father can keep you... I don't want to be one of those girlfriends who hovers all the time."

"And _I_ don't want to be one of those boyfriends who hides anything," replied Adrien, "so, full disclosure? I met up with Ladybug last night. I sent her a message and she came over, and we talked things out in the park."

"A secret romantic rendevous, hmmm?" teased Marinette, but with a little nervousness behind it. "What did she have to say?"

"Probably nothing that would surprise you very much," said Adrien, with an expression that Marinette couldn't quite read.

 _...Because he knows that I was there?_ _Sneaky, sweetie._

Undaunted, Adrien continued with a smile. "She's very happy for us. She said that she wants to stay good friends, but that she completely gets that her masked life is complicated and that I'd fallen _hard_ for you and we are completely right together. Which, of course, is totally true."

Adrien watched Marinette's face brighten, and decided to continue down a dangerous path. "So if you're good with that, and I'm good with that, she says she's good with that. Even though I put my foot in my mouth when I shouldn't have... and hinted that I think that I know who she really is."

* * *

It was Marinette's turn for her face to be unreadable... or at least she hoped so.

"You do?" she asked, aiming for a somewhat surprised tone of voice and expression. "How did you figure that out? That's kind of a big deal."

"It wasn't her fault," Adrien said, soothingly. "It was mine. When I was having such a hard time, she did everything she could to comfort me and help me feel like myself again. She told me certain things about herself that didn't give it away by themselves, but I was dreaming the other night and all of a sudden, they all lined up in my head and I couldn't help it. I just... knew. But she wouldn't have had to go that far, revealing some of what she's really like behind the mask, if I hadn't been so... so _broken..."_

"Adrien Agreste, you are _not_ going to beat yourself up over that," Marinette snapped, without any hesitation. "If she felt that you were worth that risk, for one thing, that was her decision to make. And for another thing, she was _right!"_

"Right about what?" asked Adrien, a little bit overwhelmed.

"That you _were_ worth that risk. That you are someone very special, who's irreplaceable,' she insisted, taking his hand in hers. "I'm not going to speak for Ladybug - she can talk to you herself about that - but I think that I kind of know how she feels that way. I spent a long time tongue-tied around you, trying to find some way to tell you how I felt, and I _really_ wasn't very good at that! I had my own big secret buried deep inside of me."

She swallowed hard, continuing. "But then you had... what you had going on in your life... and I couldn't hesitate any more. I was so worried about you that I just had to do whatever it took to bring my sunshine boy back. I had to be brave." She squeezed his hand, affectionately, and smiled, "And look what it got me."

"I couldn't have gotten better without either one of you," Adrien replied, adoringly. "And I know a little about having a crush and having trouble getting the nerve to tell her," he added with a grin. "I spent a lot of nights recently trying to figure out how to ask _you_ out... and I won't say I'd never thought about it at all before that day in the library."

His grin widened along with Marinette's eyes. "You _did_ kiss me that afternoon in the park, remember? And _that_ got me thinking about a thousand kindnesses of yours, the way that I'd caught you looking at me sometimes, that day we had at the movies, someone beautiful melting onto me on the dance floor at Chloè's party... I should've fallen for you a long time ago, Marinette, and I'm so glad that we're making up for that lost time now."

Her eyes went downwards, shyly, but her smile widened and her hand squeezed his a little tighter. "And I know that I've never been happier," she beamed.

"That's the idea," Adrien said. "And the feeling is mutual. So... how should we show each other that today?"

"Oh, I have some ideas," Marinette grinned, then looked a bit startled as she peeked at her phone, then showed it to Adrien. "But we have, what, five minutes left before we're late to class?"

They looked at each other, then both took off in a dead run towards the school. "Let's not... tell my father about this... if we don't make it and we're... written up for being late, okay?" gasped Adrien, half-laughing. "I wouldn't want... him thinking... you're a bad influence on me."

"I've only... just started... corrupting you, Adrien," giggled Marinette, half out of breath. "But one step... at a time."

* * *

The pair skidded into the room just as Ms. Bustier was closing the door. She gave them a knowing glance as she returned to her desk, and Marinette blushed when Alix and Kim gave them a small round of applause, assuming a particular reason for their tardiness. Adrien took a small bow with feigned dignity, then winked at Marinette as she climbed up to her seat behind him.

"Cutting it awfully close, aren't we?" Alya whispered, a big grin on her face.

"Shut _up,"_ Marinette whispered back with a smile.

* * *

Marinette's school day was less eventful than she had anticipated that it might be. Now that the ice had been broken and she and Adrien had finally gotten together, many of her classmates were quite happy for them but not in immediate need of hearing all the details, so she got her share of time to think.

 _I shouldn't be surprised... Adrien was so sweet about my dual identity last night,_ _and he still is today,_ she smiled to herself during History class. _We're doing this dance after all. Until I say it, _he_ won't say it, but he knows, and I know that he knows, and he knows that I know that he knows. I could do that all day._

 _SHOULD I tell him?_

 _Just say it out loud and see what he does?_

 _Tikki surprised the HECK out of me with how well she's taking this. I thought she was going to... well, I didn't know what but I was sure it wasn't good. Part of me thought that she'd have me break it off with Adrien, or take him to Master Fu's to whammy the knowledge out of his head with ancient herbs, or something... but she didn't! She took it in stride. If I trust Adrien, she's okay with my bringing him into the loop... and _of course_ I trust him._

 _And it _is_ going to be a little awkward the next time an Akuma shows up, if we're still pretending..._

 _But it is a big deal. Even if he already knows... it's a huge leap of faith to just admit it out loud, to have him knowingly carry that weight. Talk about relationship goals!_

 _I think that Tikki's right. I'm going to his house tonight, I'll try not to become a quivering wreck in front of his father... I have to be brave and confident, I so need his father to approve of me... and then maybe tomorrow I'll ask Master Fu what he thinks about my telling Adrien. Master Fu kind of has a right to know what's going on and to have an opinion on this. And if he's cool with it, and Tikki seemed to think he would be..._

 _...well, I bet that my boyfriend's never been kissed at the top of the Arc de Triomphe!_

 _Heh,_ she thought. _That might be a little much._ _Even once he DOES know, we'll still have to be careful with how we handle it. I wouldn't want to get caught by the press kissing him as Ladybug... it'd be hard to explain how he _wasn't_ two-timing Marinette._

She caught her teacher looking her way, and shifted her attention back to her schoolwork.

* * *

Downstairs, however, things weren't nearly as calm. As soon as Marinette had put her purse down, Plagg had darted through the floor and up into it, startling Tikki greatly.

"Whoa! Plagg, what are you-" she whispered.

 _"Come with me._ _NOW!_ " Plagg hissed, with wild eyes. "This _can't_ wait."

A few minutes later, in an otherwise unoccupied basement, Tikki debated if she could believe her own ears as Plagg's story progressed. When he finished, Tikki took a moment to process what she'd just heard...

"What have you been smoking, Plagg? Old tennis shoes?" she asked him, finally. "That might be the craziest thing I've ever heard."

"I'm completely serious," Plagg insisted, vehemently. "I _know_ what I _saw._ I didn't get close enough to see if she was dead or... just frozen or something? But it was his mother, she was in a coffin or cryogenic chamber or something, it was like a cathedral or something down there, way under the ground, I have _no idea_ why any of it was there _BUT IT WAS THERE, TIKKI!"_

"Okay! Okay, I believe you!" backpedaled Tikki. "I _knew_ that I had a bad feeling about that man, but I wasn't expecting _this!_ Wow..."

"We have got to get Adrien _out of there_ ," said Plagg. "I don't know how, or where, but that's just... is Gabriel Hawkmoth? Is he a serial killer? Does he just have the worst trophy room in history? If Adrien finds out that his mom's there, he's going to go out of his _head._ Do we even let Marinette go over there tonight?"

"I think that we _have_ to," Tikki mused. "For one thing, I _do_ believe you, but I _really_ want to see this for myself! Maybe when we know Gabriel won't be down there, we can get in close and figure out what's really going on in there. Maybe there is some kind of rational explanation? ...Somehow. And that other room you were talking about, the one with the bugs in it."

"You don't think..." wondered Plagg.

"I don't know what I think yet," said Tikki, cautiously. "All the more reason that I want to see it, and I need Marinette to bring me there so I can get close enough. _And_ if Gabriel really is some kind of nutjob, we need to act like nothing's wrong and not alert him until the kids are safely away from him. And _that_ means figuring out where Adrien can go and be safe."

"Like, running away, or to live?" Plagg asked.

"Depends on what we find," sighed Tikki. "For another thing, if we do find the worst... wouldn't it be better to have Ladybug and Chat Noir right there to confront it? I mean, I don't know how and where we'd have them transform, but we'll play that by ear."

"So we're just going to let them walk into this and not _warn them_ beforehand?" gasped Plagg, incredulously. "Is that what you're suggesting?"

"Do we know for _sure_ that this is something terrible?" Tikki replied, raising an eyebrow. "If it's a false alarm and we send Ladybug in with guns blazing, we could do a lot of damage to Marinette _and_ to Adrien. I've already told Marinette to look out for anything unusual, but I don't want her going in all nervous and panicky, either, or she'll tip Gabriel off that she knows something's up. And _that_ could either put her in danger or do damage to her relationship, depending on how innocent he really is."

"I don't like this. Not at all," grumbled Plagg. "Marinette might be in danger tonight... But Adrien _lives_ there with him! We have to do something, and _fast."_

"We'll be right there tonight; if we find something awful, we can go right back to them and warn them. And he doesn't know that they know anything - because they _don't_ yet - or who they are in secret, so he has no reason to do anything weird," Tikki assured him.

"I'll pack a bag for Adrien, just in case. Clothes and stuff. If things go sideways, he can grab it, transform, and be out of there," mumbled Plagg.

"Where would he go?" wondered Tikki.

"Somewhere where a psycho isn't keeping his dead mother a hundred meters below where he sleeps," Plagg growled. "That leaves a lot of options. He has _me_ , so he could go anywhere in Paris in minutes, with Ladybug right behind him. I'll Cataclysm the whole house down if that's what it takes to get him somewhere safe."

"And then what?" Tikki asked, pointedly. "He's fourteen. He can't just... run away and live on the streets. Marinette's house would be the first place he'd look for him, so he couldn't just go there. This is all... let's see what we find before we get _too_ drastic, okay?"

"Yeah, we'll see," Plagg replied, stern-faced. "But I'll be ready to _act."_

* * *

At lunchtime, Marinette did expect her girlfriends to be full of questions, and they didn't disappoint.

"Tonight's the big night, right? Dinner at the Agreste mansion!" bubbled Alya. "What does he have in mind?"

"I'm pretty sure it's not going to be anything _too_ fancy," Marinette replied, as the group of grinning girls at her table took in every word. "I'd asked Adrien if it was going to be one of those _the-outermost-fork-goes-with-this-course_ affairs, and he assured me that the food will be excellent but he wants it to be like dinner at my house was. Just a regular, informal meal with family and us all getting to know each other."

"Have you met Mr. Agreste before?" asked Mylène .

"...Briefly," Marinette said. "There was the derby hat contest, he saw me at that Clara Nightingale video shoot, I returned a book of Adrien's to his home once... But we've, like, never _met_ met, if you know what I mean. I'm not sure what I'm going to say to him."

Juleka studied Marinette's frown and wondered, "Like, I know he's rich and famous, but it's something more than that, isn't it?"

"Um... yeah, it is," admitted Marinette. "After all the trouble Adrien had been having at home for the last month or so, and all the stories Adrien told me about how his father had treated him... I'm kind of walking on eggshells here. I want to - I _need to_ make a good impression, but I don't really want anything to do with him, for fear that I'll say something that I shouldn't!"

"Like, telling him that he's been a bad father who nearly got his son Akumatized?" Rose asked. _"That_ could make dinner really interesting."

" _And_ your relationship with Adrien," Juleka echoed.

"Exactly," said Alya. "But you're not known for keeping quiet when someone's being mistreated, Marinette... and from what you've told me, Adrien really had been."

"I know!" muttered Marinette, holding her head in her hands. "It's not really my place to say it, though. Is it? I'm Adrien's friend and new girlfriend, but he's... you know... _Gabriel Agreste_. He could wave one finger and I'd never be allowed near Adrien again. He could probably blacklist me from the whole fashion _industry,_ if I mess things up too badly! But..."

A voice from behind her piped up. "You know what I think?" she asked, and six heads turned in that direction.

"Do you think that we want to-" began Alix, until Marinette waved her off. "Actually, Chloè... what _do_ you think?" she asked. "Seriously, I'd like to know."

Chloè raised an eyebrow at the group staring at her, along with Marinette's unexpected openness, then began, "First off, I've had dinner with the Agrestes at their house, like, a _bunch_ of times. It's no big deal. Okay, for you it might be a big deal, since..."

"Chloè..." growled Alya in warning, and Chloè turned defensive.

"...Since this is her first time there! Like, geez, I'm on _her_ side this time!" she stammered.

"Why _are_ you on her side this time?" Mylène asked, openly incredulous. "That's got to be a first."

The blonde took a deep breath, ready to snap back angrily... then made herself relax.

"Because what I have _always_ wanted is what's best for Adrien. And it kills me to say it," she managed, turning to Marinette, "...but, at least for now, it's _you."_

* * *

A startled silence followed.

"That means a lot to me, Chloè, coming from you. I really do mean that," said Marinette, gently. "Thank you."

"Okay, let's not, like, get mushy about it," grumbled Chloè.

"You do know more about the Agreste family than probably any of us," Alya allowed. "What can you tell her?"

"First off... our moms were pretty close," Chloè began. "As close as my mother let _anyone_ get to her, anyway. His father didn't like me very much, and I don't think I liked _him_ much, either, but since our families were doing events together we kind of kept spending time around each other. Even back then, when his father was a bit more... human? He kind of looked at everything and thought, 'Is this someone or something that benefits me?' and if the answer is 'no,' he was, like, 'get this away from me' if he could get away with it. I can only imagine what he's like now! He won't be blatantly rude about it if he's in a public setting, around people; he has an image to uphold. But if he's at home in his comfort zone, he can be _super_ snotty."

"I can buy all of that," Marinette agreed. "What else?"

"So when you get there, he'll kill you with kindness while he's figuring you out. But he'll be judging every little thing in his head. He doesn't like weakness, so be confident; he doesn't like attitude, so be polite. He doesn't like anything that interferes with Adrien's precious schedule, so make it clear that you respect that. You're going to want Adrien to do things and go places with you, but you want to be part of Mr. Agreste's plans, not to make him change his plans to suit you," Chloè continued.

"It all sounds so easy," Alix said, rolling her eyes a little.

"I'm _so_ sure," Chloè snapped back at her. "I have _been there_ , okay? I am _trying_ to share my experience with Marinette. He's a difficult guy, and you kind of have to walk a tightrope to stay on his good side. I should know; I've fallen off that rope dozens of times, and he's let me know that every time. But here's the deal," she continued, turning back to Marinette. "Even _he_ has to see how much good you've been for Adrien lately. I mean, even _I_ can see that, and I didn't want to! So you're starting out on the plus side with him; you just have to manage to stay there."

"You... really do care about Adrien, deep down, don't you?" asked Rose, with a curious expression on her face. "He isn't just a possessive thing to you."

"He's my... friend," sniffed Chloè. "Maybe that's all I'll ever be to him, but he was that for me before he knew any of you _existed."_

"And I don't want that to change," Marinette offered. "Honest. You and I may not be friends... not yet, anyway, and maybe we never will be... but I'm not taking one of yours away."

Chloè bit her lip, weighing a couple of emotions bubbling inside her... then managed, "Thank you... and good luck," and went back to her table with Sabrina.

Marinette's table was full of wide eyes and slack jaws. "That... I did not expect," Alya ventured.

"Nope," agreed Juleka.

"So... what are you going to wear tonight?" asked Rose, trying to change the subject to a lighter note.

"I had a good idea about that, I think," smiled Marinette. "Alya, do you remember what I found at that one consignment shop a few months ago?"

Alya raised an eyebrow. "Wait, do you mean what I think you mean? The one in blue?" she asked.

"Yup," Marinette grinned. "I've done a little work on it, and I'm thinking about it for tonight..."

Alya's huge grin provided her answer. To the rest of the table, she quipped, "All I'll say is that _that_ boy," nodding her head in Adrien's direction across the lunchroom, "is in _trouble_."

* * *

The next few hours felt like Christmas Eve to Marinette; the anticipation was murderous to her young soul. She knew very well that happy daydreams and nervous anxieties about what was about to happen wouldn't make it arrive any sooner... but that didn't make it any easier to get through her remaining classes with a clear mind.

At last, the final bell rang, and Marinette turned the corner to find Adrien waiting for her in the main hallway, a nervous smile on his own face.

"Hello there," he greeted her, warmly. "Going my way?"

"You know it," she grinned, slipping her hand into his. They exchanged a few pleasantries about how their respective days had gone until they reached the front steps.

"Did you want to come home with me now?" Adrien asked, noting the presence of his driver at curbside. "Or wait a little bit, and I'll come and pick you up when you're ready?"

"Oh, I definitely want to head home and change first, freshen up a bit... I'm not going to go all prom night, but I do want to dress up a little more than this," she answered him. "You know, girl stuff."

"I thought that you would. I'll get out of my school clothes, too. Nothing too formal, but I'll try to look nice for you," said Adrien.

"You couldn't fail at that if you tried," Marinette teased back.

"Flatterer," Adrien smiled. "Are you nervous about tonight?"

Marinette hesitated. "A little, yeah. It'd be kind of a big step for us even if your father _wasn't_ Gabriel Agreste."

"Hey," Adrien replied, taking her other hand, and bringing her face to face with him. "I promise that you have nothing to fear, okay? Tonight's not about him; it's about the two of us. My father's heard all about you from what I've told him, and he likes what he's heard. He's _already_ impressed. And this isn't an audition, anyway... There's nothing he could say or think or do that could change my mind about you."

Inside, Marinette melted. She leaned in and planted a soft kiss on his cheek, then whispered, "Then that's all I need to know."

They shared a happy grin, then walked down the stairs together. Adrien's bodyguard stood at curbside next to the opened sedan door, and gave the two of them a smile and Marinette a small nod as they approached.

"Maybe in about an hour or so, if that's enough?" asked Adrien. "I kind of want to give you the grand tour before dinner."

"I think so. Text me when you're ready to get me and if I'm not ready yet, I'll let you know," Marinette confirmed.

They shared another quick peck while the Gorilla pretended not to peek, before Adrien hopped into the back seat and they headed on their way home.

Marinette dashed across the street to her house, entering through the bakery's front door, where both parents greeted her.

"Ready for your big night, Marinette?" asked Tom, warmly.

"She's got a few thousand small details to decide on first. Right, dear?" Sabine answered with a knowing smile.

"More like three hundred thousand," panted Marinette, as she made her way to the back stairs at high speed. " _AndifyoucouldhelpmemakeupmymindonsomeofthemthatwouldbeAWESOME_!" they heard their daughter yell as she took off for her upstairs bedroom.

"Sounds like my cue. Tom, you're all right down here by yourself for a little while?" asked Sabine.

"Of course! Go help her out," her husband replied, and watched Sabine tidy up the paperwork she'd been fiddling with and head up herself.

* * *

When Sabine reached Marinette's room, she found her daughter on her knees, leaning into her closet, weighing her options.

"Okay!" Marinette breathed, hearing her mother enter. "First decision. What I'd thought about wearing, and Alya agreed that I should, was this." She reached into the closet and pulled out one particular hanger and its contents. "Is it too much? Tell me it's not too much for tonight."

"Hmmm... I like it! But let's see it all around..." Sabine replied, to which Marinette turned it to show it off from several angles.

"You see where I'd altered it here... and here, and there?" Marinette asked, nervously. "Trying to give it just a little of my own touch, without ruining the original lines?"

"I'll want to see it on you, but I think that's _perfect_ for tonight," said Sabine. "It's straightforward enough that you could wear it just about anywhere, but nice enough for a night like this. "

"Whew!" Marinette sighed with relief. "I was hoping that you'd say that because otherwise I'd have to reset my whole game plan. Now... okay! These shoes or those? Do I let my hair down or leave it up in tails? I've got, like, a million questions on my makeup..."

"Take a breath, Marinette," laughed Sabine. "Go with your instincts. I know they're good, and if I see something that seems off, I'll tell you. I think you'll want to look natural tonight; stun, don't kill. I'm sure that he'll take you somewhere formal at some point where you can _really_ doll up."

As Marinette rummaged around her bedroom, ticking off her mental checklist as she made her preparations, Sabine asked, "Marinette... I don't want to interrupt you, but can I ask you something?"

"Sure!" she replied, amidst a blur of flying combs and brushes.

"This morning, when you came down to meet Adrien... was there something extra-special going on between you then?"

Marinette paused, turning to face her mother. "What... do you mean by that?" she asked.

"Well... okay, I've seen how the two of you look at each other, especially the last couple of days. It's adorable and I just want to take pictures every time I see it," grinned Sabine. "But this morning, when you first saw each other, it was like... I don't know, like you were seeing each other clearly for the first time ever. Or like you'd just come down in your wedding gown. Obviously, _that_ wasn't it, but there was so much emotion in the air that I couldn't miss it. I was wondering... can you tell me what it was?"

 _Think fast, Marinette,_ she thought to herself. _Since you can't even hint about the Ladybug part..._

"It was like this," Marinette said, slowly. "Remember how I had told you that Adrien and I were really into each other, but that there was this other girl that he was also thinking about?"

"I remember," Sabine confirmed.

"He met up with her last night, and they talked things out... and he told her that he'd made his decision, and that he would be dating me instead of her. He told me that she's okay with that; her life's a little crazy right now and she still really likes him, they're going to stay close friends, but she's really happy for Adrien and I being together like this." Marinette took a breath, making sure that her story lined up. "So when we saw each other this morning, it was like... well, we knew that we were serious before that, but we'd just made it _super-_ official, you know? So if we both had stars in our eyes... that was why."

 _Please don't make me say more than that, please don't make me say more than that, please don't..._

Sabine stepped forward and wrapped her daughter up in a hug. "That is _wonderful_ , dear. Now it makes perfect sense," she said. "You're not afraid that the other girl will change her mind, or come after him at some point?"

"I'm not afraid at all. I have a feeling that Adrien knows exactly who he wants," Marinette smiled back.

"Then let's get back to your outfit and makeup," grinned Sabine. "I want that boy's jaw on the _floor_ when he gets here."

* * *

At the Agreste mansion, Adrien paced back and forth, nervously. He'd settled on slacks and a button-down shirt, a step up from his usual T-shirt school attire but still qualifying as everyday wear. The Gorilla watched him try not to check his phone's clock every three minutes and chuckled, quietly.

 _I don't want to rush her,_ thought Adrien, _but it has been a little over an hour... and I can't wait any longer to see her again!_

He checked his hair in a nearby mirror, then told himself for the tenth time, yes, it was how he wanted it to look.

A little voice inside him sent a small, silent prayer to his father...

 _We've been getting along so much better lately, Father,_ he thought _. I really need tonight to go well, so... be cool, please? Make her feel welcome. She may not be a supermodel or an heiress, but she's going to be a huge part of my life for a very long time, so... just accept that, and her. You should really like her if you give her a fair chance. That's all I'm asking._

 _Okay_.

His anxiety won out, and he sent out a text:

 **[Adrien]** **Are you almost ready?**

A moment later...

 **[Marinette]** **Whenever you're ready, I'm all yours.**

"All right," Adrien grinned at the Gorilla. "Let's do this."

* * *

Tom waved to a handsome young man as he entered the bakery. "Hello, Adrien," he called to him. "You look very nice. Ready for your big night?"

"Absolutely," Adrien smiled back. "I've been on pins and needles all day. I hope that Marinette really enjoys it."

"Of that, I have no doubt."

The two shared some light conversation until Sabine came down the stairs, grinning from ear to ear. "Hello there, Adrien," she greeted him.

"My, my. _You_ look like the cat that ate the canary," Tom marveled, seeing his wife's expression.

"That's because I know what's about to happen," she replied, making Adrien's eyebrow raise. "Adrien, she'll be downstairs to meet you in just a moment."

"I'll be here," Adrien breathed. "Count on that."

"So what do you have in mind for tonight?" Sabine asked.

"Well, I had _such_ a wonderful time here on Tuesday night..." began Adrien.

"Especially how it ended, hmmm?" grinned Tom.

"I... have no complaints about that, sir," a crimson Adrien continued. "But the whole experience - supper, conversation, getting to know each other - it felt like _family_. That's something that, well, we haven't been very good at for a long time, especially after my mother... you know... so I would love to bring some of that feeling back to our house. I plan on showing Marinette around the house, then a quiet and cozy dinner for three; possibly four, I'm not sure if Nathalie will be joining us. She usually does, but not always. I hope that she does; I'd like her to get to know Marinette, too. Afterwards, we'll see what we both feel like and I'll get her home when she's ready."

"That sounds like quite a nice evening, Adrien," smiled Sabine, somewhat touched by his sentiment. "And I'm very glad that you enjoyed your supper here! You're definitely welcome back any time."

"Be careful with that," he replied. "You might start finding it rather hard to be rid of me."

"Somehow I don't think that Marinette would complain much," Tom noted.

Footsteps on the stairs turned all three of their heads. "And speaking of..." smiled Tom.

* * *

Adrien's eyes were riveted on the stairwell. Behind him, Tom and Sabine watched him with some amusement.

 _It's like Prom night, but a few years too early,_ grinned Sabine to herself. _I can only imagine what _that_ will be like, if they're still together then!_

Heels clicked lightly on the stairs as Marinette descended - a steady click, click, click, growing slightly louder - in time with the beating of Adrien's heart, which also seemed steadily louder in his head.

For the second time that day, Adrien's eyes widened as his girlfriend came into view...

...but this time, he was far less prepared for the sight.

* * *

Marinette reached the bottom step and waited, the look on Adrien's face stopping her in place.

Her dress was tea length, with a demure neckline. The top portion was a dark blue, nearly matching Marinette's eyes, with a baby blue floral pattern extending down towards her calves. It was gathered around her waist by thin ties, tied off in a small white bow. It had a light touch of lace at the neckline and along the midi-skirt, accentuating but not overwhelming the pattern. Blue wedge heels adorned her feet, a simple silver bracelet was on her left wrist, and her hair ties on her pigtails were in blue bows, matching the one by her midsection.

"Wow!" marveled Tom. "Sabine, when did our daughter turn into a young Audrey Hepburn? Marinette, you are a _vision_ tonight."

"I'll say," agreed Sabine. "You'd think that she'd just stepped out of a movie."

"Thank you, Mom, Dad," Marinette replied, shyly. She looked over at Adrien and her smile widened, seeing his expression.

"So, young man... what do you think?" Sabine prompted him, subtly.

* * *

Adrien Agreste remembered that breathing was necessary.

Once his lungs were sorted out, his brain attempted to get his other organs back to their normal state. His eyes were working fine; in fact, all available power was being diverted to them from everything else that was voluntary. His heart was racing, but within reasonable parameters; his knees had gone weak, but were still strong enough to keep him upright.

 _So far, so good,_ Adrien's brain thought.

Moving down the checklist, the brain took further notes. There hadn't been anything in his hands, which was good, as he would've dropped whatever he'd been carrying. The ears registered some people saying something in the near vicinity; _Likely Tom and Sabine,_ the brain reasoned, _I'll compare the voiceprints to known samples once the reception clears up._ Bowels and bladder were under control, which was a relief, as any sudden surprises there could be catastrophic. His stomach was fluttering, which was a potential concern, but it seemed far from nauseous.

The last areas that needed attention were above the shoulders. _Say something, already!_ , the brain instructed, but there was no immediate response from the mouth and throat. _Reel in the jaw, slowly,_ it ordered, but those muscles also seemed out of commission, Adrien's jaw still hanging down limply. Very slowly, nerve impulses started to connect, but it was clear to the brain that it was going to take a moment or two for normal function to be restored in that region.

 _All right, everyone, good job,_ the brain messaged the rest of Adrien's body. _I think we have this handled, for the most part. Continue as best you can, and we'll try for renewed speech capabilities in ten... nine... eight..._

* * *

Marinette watched Adrien's face with considerable joy... but then, when it seemed like he'd frozen or that she'd fully broken him, she wondered if there was something that _wrong_ about her that he was staring at so intently. She stepped forward, stumbling slightly off the last step, which knocked Adrien out of his overclocked mental processing mode; he jumped forward to catch her, though she did regain her balance in time to stay off the floor.

"Sorry," she stammered. "I haven't worn heels in a little while, even low ones like this. Adrien, do you like...?"

"You have _no idea_ how much I like," he gasped. "Marinette, you are absolutely _stunning!_ I thought we weren't going to get super-dressed-up for tonight?"

"Honestly? I didn't think that I did," she replied, blushing a bit. "This was a consignment shop dress I brought home to work on; you know, to get hands-on practice instead of just drawing everything out on paper. I'm not done tinkering with the lines on it yet, I was - I thought it was ready enough like this - and it's just, like, a casual party dress, not something formal. Is it too much? It's too much! I was worried about that, my mom can tell you! I can go up and change..."

Adrien blinked, and took stock of what she'd just said... and she was right.

"No, not at all! I'm just... um... I've never seen you dressed up before!" he assured her, gently. "We usually just see each other in our everyday school clothes. Not that you don't look really good in those! But, uh... this is..."

"Take a breath, Adrien," Sabine half-whispered to him.

"Th-hank you, Mrs. Cheng," Adrien smiled, which got a small laugh from both teens. "What I'm trying to say is, I've seen the designs you've been drawing out on paper all year, and I _know_ how you have an amazing eye for fashion and design. It shouldn't surprise me at all that you could take some simple elements, add them to how beautiful you are naturally, and have the end result take my breath away like this."

Tom stifled the urge to applaud. _NICE save, young man,_ he grinned. _That was just the right thing to say._

Marinette's eyes were huge, her face was bright pink, and for a moment she wobbled just enough that Adrien wondered if he would have to catch her after all... and then it was her turn to let what _he'd_ said sink in fully. In one motion, she was in his arms, hugging him tightly.

"I am _melting_ right now, Adrien," she whispered in his ear. "Thank you so much."

"Thank _you_ ," Adrien whispered back. "I'm the one who gets to be next to you tonight."

After a moment, Sabine asked, "So... can we get a picture or two? We really _don't_ get to see Marinette dressed up very often, and you both look so nice tonight!"

"Yeah! Can we?" bubbled Marinette, handing her mother her phone, which Adrien did as well. "One for each of us."

The pictures were taken in rapid succession, and the teens' phones were returned to their rightful owners. Tom took a peek out the front window and noted, "Your, um, Gorilla is waiting, Adrien."

"Ah! Yes, he is. Marinette, are you ready to go?" asked Adrien.

"I'm ready when you are," she grinned, putting on a long coat.

"Call me if you need a ride home, or anything else," Tom called to her as they headed for the front door. "Have fun tonight!"

"We definitely will, and thank you!" Marinette called back, as she and Adrien waved, passed through the door and were gone.

Once they were out of hearing range, Tom shook his head, grinning, recalling Adrien's reaction. "I have a feeling that our Marinette might just start getting invited to a _lot_ of dressy events," he laughed to Sabine. "That boy was _shook_."

Sabine agreed, her laughter joining his. "I _told_ her, upstairs, 'Be ready; he isn't going to know what hit him.' But she kept saying, 'Mom, he's a _model_ , he's around models and fashion icons all the time, and I'm just plain old me from school...' I think she learned _that_ lesson from just one look."

* * *

Outside, the Gorilla stood at the back door of the sedan, trying not to fidget impatiently. As the couple approached, he scanned them up and down with a practiced eye... then let out a low whistle of appreciation.

Both looked a little startled. Adrien recovered first, saying "After you!" to Marinette and gesturing her forward. The Gorilla held the door for her and gave her an exaggerated bow and a warm smile, to which she thanked him but still had a bit of an _Okay, THAT just happened_ expression on her face. Quickly, he dashed around to get Adrien's door as well, then returned to the driver's seat.

"You're _sure_ this is okay?" Marinette whispered. "I don't want your father thinking that I'm trying to show off for him."

"I think he will see precisely what you had in mind, and how naturally it came to you," Adrien assured her. "I wouldn't have you change a single thing."

"O-okay," she smiled, putting her hand in his.

"Then I think we're ready," Adrien told the Gorilla. "Marinette... your table awaits."

The muscular driver pulled away from the curb, slipped into early evening traffic and set out for the Agreste mansion.

* * *

Next time:

* " _That_ was an interesting reaction..."

* "How can you _BOTH_ be... oh dear, oh dear, oh dear."

* Under the eyes of a master.

* Light table conversation, or is it fencing? Feints, parries and evasions...

* "We need a plan, _now_. We need five or six more plans after _that!"_

* "There is something that I wish to show you..."

* And our endgame begins in earnest.


	18. You Lean On Me, I Lean On You

Someone To Watch Over Me, Chapter 18: You Lean On Me, I Lean On You

* * *

Slow-moving traffic was not exactly an anomaly on the streets of Paris at this time of day. But for two teenagers holding hands in the back of an elegant sedan, on the way to meet his father as boyfriend and girlfriend for the first time, the short drive of a couple of kilometers seemed to be taking a veritable eternity.

Not that either found the company unpleasant, needless to say.

The Gorilla, hunched behind the wheel, did his best to ease their agonies by driving as quickly as circumstances would allow him. In this case, that wasn't very fast at all; this appeared to be a previously unknown national French holiday known as Idiot-On-The-Road Day, judging from the drivers around him. Still, he did his best, and ever so slowly, they made incremental progress towards the Agreste mansion.

He did get some amusement out of the trip every time that he glanced at his rear view mirror. He couldn't remember ever seeing Adrien so entranced by _anyone_ in all the time that he'd known him... and they seemed physically unable to stop _grinning_ at each other.

 _Ah, to be young and in love again, with the future at our feet,_ he smiled, privately. _Remember that time, when you were his age, when Abigail watched the stars with you on the barge floating down the river Nile? Being Camila's escort to the ball on that magical night in Lima... and what happened afterwards? Running like the wind through the streets of Kyoto with little Mayumi, laughing as the guards behind us shouted our names, not knowing where you'd end up by morning but not caring as long as _she_ was by your side?_

 _Good times. Very good times. The kind that Adrien deserves._

Another glance in the mirror, and he watched the two of them lean closer and back away again, as if thinking about kissing, but not daring to while under even indirect supervision.

 _As if I'd stop you,_ the Gorilla smirked silently. _Not that you're asking me for advice, but if somehow you two are listening,_ he thought, _hold onto that sweet innocence as long as you can. Being young and in love is a privilege; not everyone gets to try it, and not all who do get to keep it for long. Especially when someone like Gabriel wants to control everything around him, including every minute of your every day, Adrien._

 _And I don't know the girl that well yet... but I know pure sweetness when I see it._ _Been seeing it all year; she's been longing for Adrien, devoted to Adrien for months. A part of me has been rooting for her this whole time._

 _I thought that she might've been just another starstruck groupie when she first popped up, then kept popping up... but then I started watching her when I came to pick Adrien up from school. Almost every day, definitely every time that he had a _bad_ day, she was nearby. Not throwing herself at him like Blondie does, just... wanting to be close. Her eyes would follow his every step on the way to the car, like she was watching over him, making sure that he made it there happy and safe. People like that don't come along every day._

 _Easy on the eyes, too. That's _some_ dress she's got on tonight. I hope Gabe notices! Adrien sure did._

 _Good. I hope that - HEY!_

The Gorilla grunted angrily as a bus swerved into his lane without warning. _SIGNAL next time, you cretinous toad!_

 _All right. Eyes and thoughts back on the road,_ he directed himself. _As for you two back there... just keep things as uncomplicated as you can. You'll figure it out, I'm sure._

* * *

A short distance behind the burly driver, two young stomachs had more butterflies in them than in Hawkmoth's entire lair.

Marinette found herself still a little blown away by the whole situation. The day had been a whirlwind of emotions for her, not the least of which was the look on her boyfriend's face just a few minutes before as she entered the room. _I know that I look good tonight... but nobody looks THAT good,_ she smiled to herself. _Though, bless him for believing that I do!_

 _This is all so surreal,_ she thought, blushing a little as she watched Adrien's rapt face; he hadn't been able to take his eyes off of her since he got in the car. _I keep waiting to wake up from my dream and find out that Adrien's still just my crush... though I'm very glad that that's not happening! These last few days, these last few _weeks_ have been such a whirlwind that I've barely had time to breathe deeply and take it all in. And now, here we are..._

She looked at Adrien again, and not for the first time in the trip, her melodic giggle filled the back seat.

"...What?" grinned Adrien.

"You're giving me that _look_. Like I'm Cinderella and I just stepped out onto the ballroom floor," she replied, shyly.

"I can't help it. You are absolutely _radiant_ tonight, Marinette... plus, I love hearing that laugh of yours," he parried.

That brought on yet another giggle, as he'd expected.

"...I overdid it with this outfit. I _know_ I did," Marinette fretted. "I don't want your father thinking that I'm..."

"Marinette..." Adrien interrupted, his voice at a soothing tone. "I promise you, if you _had_ been over the top, I'd have said so when you asked me back at your house. If you'd gone full ballroom gown and a tiara, then, yeah..."

"Heh," she smirked. "I only do that on Mondays, so we're safe tonight."

"Note to self; mark Mondays on my calendar for a very long time," Adrien said. "But I'm serious. Or if you'd, let's say, worn the latest Agreste line from head to toe and dosed yourself with one of our fragrances to make sure that he noticed, _that_ would give him the wrong impression, like you were cozying up to him like a walking advertising billboard. Someone we both know tried that once, and Father hired three cleaning companies to get the fragrance out of the couch she sat on. And he _liked_ that scent."

Marinette allowed him to continue, grinning at the mental image. "I know you so much better than to think you'd do that. No, what you're wearing is just... perfect! Casual, but also elegant. You're not chasing a spotlight; it's chasing you tonight," smiled Adrien. "And those shades of blue _really_ make your beautiful eyes leap out. I'm so used to seeing you in pink... not that I have any complaints _there_..."

"You think so?" replied Marinette. "I don't know, pink's just always sort of been my color. It's a girly thing, I guess. No one's ever reacted to my eyes like that."

 _That's so not true,_ Adrien grinned to himself. _You know exactly how many times you've caught Chat Noir losing himself in them._

"And no one's ever told me that I was _beautiful_ before you, either," she added, squeezing his hand again. "Thank you."

" _That's_ hard for me to believe," scoffed Adrien.

"Well, my mom and dad have... but they're parents. That's kind of their job," Marinette smiled. "But you know very well that you're the only one to ever look at me, the way you're doing right now, and say something like that."

"Maybe other people haven't said it out loud... but I know that they know it," Adrien purred.

A bit of reddish-pink contrasted nicely with all the blue, as the sedan pulled to a stop by the walkway to the Agrestes' front door.

* * *

Once the car was parked, the Gorilla hopped out, then walked to Adrien's door and opened it for him. Marinette pulled at her door handle, but it was locked; she looked up at the two of them with a momentary look of confusion.

Adrien looked confused as well; he turned to the Gorilla, who gestured with a finger; _You go around and open it for her_ was the clear suggestion.

Quickly, the young man dashed around and heard the door unlock just as he reached it. He opened it and reached for Marinette's hand to help her out, giving the Gorilla a slightly annoyed expression of _I was _going_ to do that!_ before turning back to her.

"So gallant! Thank you, Adrien," Marinette grinned.

"Any time. Many more times to come, I hope," he grinned back.

"I'm planning on it."

The two stood at the bottom of the walkway, a slight incline, looking up at the mansion.

"I think I'm ready for this," breathed Marinette.

"Not too late to bail out for some of Andre's ice cream instead, if you're that worried," Adrien said.

The Gorilla's eyes lit up for a moment at the sound of ice cream, but his expression a moment later was clear; _Not an option that you want to suggest tonight!_

Instead of diving back into the car, though, Marinette squeezed his hand again. "The whole ride, remember?" she said, with a small smile. "Your family is just as much a part of that as mine was."

"Then let's do this," Adrien smiled, warmly. "Together."

* * *

As they reached the front door, it opened, and Gabriel and Nathalie stepped through onto the front porch. Gabriel's expression was pleasant, but revealed little otherwise; Nathalie's eyes widened a bit at the sight of them.

"Good evening! Welcome to our home," Gabriel greeted Marinette, with a slight bow. "I am quite pleased that you could join us this evening; with all that Adrien has told me about you, I have been most interested in meeting you properly."

"Th-hank you, Mr. Agreste," she managed back. "I've been _so excited_ about coming here ever since Adrien invited me."

 _CALM YOURSELF!_ Marinette's voice screamed inside her head.

"Um, what I mean by that is... your son is an amazing person, and I'm very happy to meet someone who helped make him that way," continued Marinette, her heart pounding. " _And_ you've always been one of my favorite fashion designers, Mr. Agreste, so I'm honored to meet you for that, as well."

"Hmmph! Flattery will get you anywhere, Miss Dupain-Cheng. Including into our dining room tonight," Gabriel grinned back. His smile seemed sincere, but something about him continued to leave Marinette slightly unsettled.

"You look absolutely _lovely_ tonight, Marinette," Nathalie cooed. "I've seen you in your school attire so many times, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but you've... well, I couldn't imagine anything more perfect! Don't you think so, Gabriel?"

"I must say, I am impressed as well," Gabriel mused. "One rarely sees such a... _sophistication_ in someone your age. If I may impose, could you...?" He made a slow circle gesture with his hand, and while trying hard not to scream, Marinette did a gentle twirl to let him see her outfit from several angles.

"Most interesting!" Gabriel noted after a brief pause, staring intently at Marinette's dress. "It's a Givenchy; I'd place it around '81 or '82, judging from the fabric and base detail... but some of the lines on it have been altered in a very familiar manner. Please tell me, Miss Dupain-Cheng... where did you acquire this dress, and was it in this state when you received it?"

"It was from a vintage consignment shop in Montmartre," Marinette replied, anxiously. "On Rue Yvonne le Tac, if I remember it right. A friend and I visit shops like that now and then, looking for bargains and ideas, and this jumped out at me about six months ago. I've been dying for an opportunity to wear it, and this is the first occasion that seemed suitable. And the alterations were, uh, um... my own."

" _You_ altered it?" marveled Gabriel. "What was your intention in doing so?"

"As I'd said, I had admired the Agreste fashion house even before I met Adrien," she said. "And I am something of an aspiring designer myself, though very much still learning. You might remember my derby hat that you were kind enough to allow Adrien to model?"

"I did not _allow_ it; it was a privilege that you earned on merit. Do continue, though," Gabriel replied.

"Okay! So... when I brought the dress home, one of _your_ major dress lines from two years ago jumped right into my mind. I thought, if I tweak this part here, and over here," Marinette gestured, pointing out some of the areas she'd altered, "it would add a modern influence to it, something of the best of both worlds, that would also flatter what little figure I have."

"Which it does; your alterations do suit your proportions well, _and_ complement the original style passably. But you are saying that you considered yourself _qualified_ to improve on near-perfection?" he challenged her, his voice steady but with something of a stern undercurrent emerging. "A girl of fourteen, passing judgment on one of Paris's most famous fashion houses, on a time-tested classic design?"

* * *

Adrien squeezed her hand and took a small step forward, as if a protective impulse had seized him in the moment. Marinette stepped forward as well, before he could speak. She shot a brief glance at him, as if to reassure him, _It's okay, I can do this._

"The dress was just _marvelous_ the way that I found it," she gulped, "and I was extremely lucky to find it. I didn't mean in any way to be disrespectful to it or to those who created it. But... well... to start with, I knew that I needed to take it in for my own build, like I said; it was meant for someone perhaps a little older than I am. And when I began those alterations, I thought... um..."

She wasn't sure which was about to happen first, her passing out and slumping to the ground or blood shooting from both of her ears.

"Take a breath, Marinette," Nathalie suggested. "You're making sense so far, but I'm curious, too, and I'd also like to hear the rest."

"O-okay, thank you," smiled Marinette. "I'm a little nervous! Anyway, what I thought was... fashion is something that must always respect the past, but it should never stop moving forward, either. Otherwise, fashion houses would just keep making the same lines over and over, once they'd gotten it right! So what I most want to learn is to do both of those things; to create a blend of old and new, to honor the past but to reflect new ideas and designs as well. And a good way to learn what works and what doesn't is to practice hands-on."

"I'm... I'm not quite done with what I'd like to do with this particular dress... and, yes, what I've done so far is more of an homage to _your_ own ideas than my own imagination, but..."

Her voice trailed off, watching Gabriel's face for any cues. None were immediately forthcoming.

"Miss Dupain-Cheng... may I call you Marinette?" he asked, with a hint of a smile peeking out. "Your permission for me to be so informal with you."

"Of course," she gasped, preparing herself. She half-expected him to push a button and have a piano fall onto her for her audacity.

* * *

"Marinette... one of the challenges of running a design house is guiding the lead design teams appropriately," Gabriel stated, flatly. "Each member has his or her own ideas as to where our lines should go, what influences are proper, how far to diverge creatively and how true to our past and our standards to remain. I find it a constant struggle to inspire them to balance those impulses; to dare to dream, but to know their histories and limits as well. To have pride in their triumphs, but to never settle, and to never rest on their laurels."

"In short... _precisely_ the spirit that you have shown me just now."

Marinette's eyes went wide as a grin broke out on Gabriel's face. She felt Adrien's grasping hand slacken slightly, sensing his own astonishment.

"Would I suggest a few minor changes to what you have done with it? Of course. Show ten designers a dress, and they will have ten different takes on it, and I am no exception to that," Gabriel beamed. "But were you a bit older than you are now, what you are showing me now and your thought process regarding it would be enough for me to offer you an internship." Slyly, he added, "Of course, I know full well that my son has _already_ offered you a position that I am pleased to see you have accepted... to be right by his side."

"I... I don't know what to say, Mr. Agreste. I w-wasn't intending this to be any kind of audition! I just... wanted to look my best for Adrien, and for this occasion," stammered Marinette. "That's all."

"Very much understood, Marinette, and I agree," smiled Gabriel. "You are about two or three years early for that sort of opportunity, anyway, or at least that is about when we like to bring in young designers. A baseline education is also quite important, and I assume that they are more than competent at that over at Françoise Dupont. I was merely curious as to the provenance of your dress... discovering a potential prodigy standing on my porch is simply a pleasant bonus."

His smile widened at Marinette's gobsmacked expression, as he gestured for the happy couple to enter. "But that is for another time, perhaps. For tonight, please, come in, come in! I am sure that my son is anxious to show you around, and dinner will be served in about an hour. Until then, please relax and enjoy our hospitality! If there is anything you would like or that we can do for you, do not hesitate. You are a _most_ welcome guest."

"I will. Th-hank you for your praise, Sir; it means quite a lot to me, coming from you," Marinette replied, still a bit hesitantly.

"Shall we?" Adrien asked, eager to steer Marinette to a less imposing situation and allow her to collapse properly.

"Certainly," replied Marinette, gladly allowing him to lead her inside and towards the stairs in the foyer.

* * *

Once they were out of earshot, Nathalie gave Gabriel an inquisitive look. "You really meant all that?" she asked him.

"Of course. You saw the dress! The alterations were... a trifle amateurish, as one would expect from someone of her young age, but the raw talent is undeniably there," Gabriel replied. "Plus, the foresight to go out and find the original where she did, the confidence to alter it herself, and the courage that it took for her to stand up for herself like that! Truth be told, I pushed far too hard just now, as if she was a university student and not a young teenager! I must smooth that over with kindness when we join them later."

He smiled a weary smile. "It is in a father's blood, I suppose, to make sure that his son's paramours are worthy of him. She passed my first test with ease."

"And..." Nathalie prodded him.

"...And I did not get to where I am today without a knack for reading people," he grinned back. "That dress really _was_ for Adrien's benefit, not for mine. Her intentions were pure; she seemed almost _alarmed_ that I took it under professional consideration. If anything, what she did with it gives me a small idea for something we can do with one of _our_ upcoming lines!"

"If you use that idea, and you were to slip her name into the credits for that collection, you could kickstart her whole career before it has even begun," marveled Nathalie. "That's no small thing."

"And time will tell whether I should grant her that generous consideration," Gabriel agreed. "But I do like what I see in her. Adrien had described a young woman with a wildly creative mind and a huge heart, and Marinette clearly has both of those in spades. She has strength of will, without the ego or attitude that so often accompany it. I will be _most_ interested in probing further at dinner!"

"Probing _gently_ ," chided Nathalie. "She may need a change of underwear before round two."

"I will certainly assume that Adrien will spend the next hour easing her nerves considerably," smiled Gabriel. "Preferably _without_ inquiring as to her undergarments."

* * *

Upstairs, Adrien and Marinette dashed halfway down a hallway outside of Adrien's room, until their excitement and breath each gave out and both collapsed in laughter.

"Oh, _wow!_ I can't believe that just... that I really just... did _that just happen?"_ babbled Marinette. _"Seriously?"_

"I have _never_ heard him react quite like that," Adrien gasped. "Of course, I've never brought a designer girlfriend home, either..."

"I mean it, Adrien. Did he... do you think he _meant_ what he said?" she asked, looking him in the eye. "That he thinks that I have real potential?"

"How could he not?" replied Adrien, without hesitation. "You know that you do. I know that you do. I know that you could do _anything_ in this world that you put your mind to. You've amazed me, so many times, in so many ways."

"You are _so sweet_ ," Marinette cooed back, leaning in closer. "I wish I had as much confidence in myself as you do."

"Everyone has times that they doubt themselves, or when their nerves get the better of them. Everyone," Adrien assured her. "But when you need to, when people need you, you _always_ find the strength. This whole city... uh, _so many people_ believe in you. Why should I be any different?"

Marinette gave him a funny look, sensing what he meant... then dove in for a hug anyway. "You _are_ different, Adrien. When you look at me that way, you see something that nobody else does... no matter what I'm wearing," she said, warmly.

 _And if Master Fu tells me that it's okay..._ _I'll tell you tomorrow just how right you are about who it is you see._

"And you saw the real _me,_ long before anyone else did," blushed Adrien. "You stole my heart before I even knew that it was gone... so you'd better get used to me telling you that. The whole ride, remember?"

"The whole ride." Marinette's grin was ear-to-ear. "Now, how about showing me around like you said you would?"

"Absolutely." Adrien helped Marinette to her feet, and the two strolled towards the far end of the hallway.

* * *

"...And this is my father's atelier," Adrien intoned as the two of them entered, having returned to the first floor. "Nathalie has a desk in here, and this is where Father does much of his design brainstorming. He finds the atmosphere and the artwork inspiring. His private office is down that way; even I don't go in there without his inviting me inside."

"I can see why this room's so inspiring," teased Marinette, looking up at a wall containing many pictures of Adrien. "Best scenery in town."

"Actually..." demurred Adrien, "I prefer this one."

He gestured towards a tall painting of a golden-haired woman, which got a gasp out of Marinette as she approached it.

"Wow! Is that your..." she began, trailing off.

"That is my mother, yes," Adrien replied in a quiet voice. "Father commissioned this in the style of a famous painting by Klimt, _The Woman in Gold_. He told Mother that with her beauty and her long blonde hair, he insisted on capturing her this way, to be remembered for eternity."

Adrien looked up at the painting again, standing very still. "I come here almost every day to see her, the best way that I can."

"So your father does have a sentimental side," Marinette said, with a little awe in her voice. _I sure know that YOU do._ "That's good to know."

"She meant... everything to him," murmured Adrien. "He's said to me that he'd bend heaven and earth, time and space, all the rules of the universe to bring her back. I just wish that I knew... what really happened to her. If I do have any reason left to hope."

"Come here, honey," Marinette whispered, leaning into him tenderly. "I hope that, someday, you do find that answer. And I don't know how it'd be possible... but I hope that I can help somehow."

They shared a long hug, more consoling than their passionate embraces a short time earlier.

"How about your room? You haven't shown me that yet," suggested Marinette.

"Haven't I?" asked Adrien, with his smile returning, wider still when Marinette gave him a _Really?_ look. "Well... I suppose I haven't, after all. C'mon, this way."

As Adrien turned the room lights off and the two of them left, neither noticed that their pockets and clutch purse had just become the tiniest bit lighter.

* * *

Plagg hovered near the edge of the doorway in the dimly lit room, watching Marinette and Adrien carefully. "They're around the corner," he hissed, quietly.

Tikki floated over from a darkened corner. "Okay. We should have a little while, I think, though keep listening for anyone approaching. This is where you said you found something, right?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah. A _lot_ of somethings," Plagg grumbled. "You brought a light source, right?"

"Uh-huh," Tikki smiled, holding up a tiny penlight. "It's not much, but it's what I could smuggle into Marinette's purse, and it's about all I can hold and still phase through the wall. Where do we begin?"

"You see that painting up there, the big gold one? That is Adrien's mother," Plagg directed her. "There's a safe behind it, and that's where we found the Book of Lore last time."

"She's pretty," Tikki noted, then got back to business. "Let's start there. We probably can't push the safe door shut if we jimmy it open... and, for that matter, I don't know if we could move the painting! So I'll just go in and snoop around the hard way."

She buzzed up next to the painting at the height that Plagg indicated, took a deep breath and concentrated, and passed through it with penlight in hand.

A few moments later, she reemerged, looking solemn. "The Book is still there," Tikki confirmed. "I'd know it anywhere. There were some other odds and ends, and a strange... energy? Like something to which I'm sensitive had been in there for a long time."

"The Book's been there for a long time now, and that's an artifact of the Guardians," Plagg replied. "It's not that?"

"No, whatever this is was more... primal. Powerful. I can't quite place what it is, but it gives me the creeps to know that it was here," shuddered Tikki. "Especially since I have a strong suspicion of what it _could_ be."

"The Moth Miraculous? We suspected that once." Plagg looked thoughtful. "Though I don't think that he'd let that go far from his person, if he has it. He wouldn't lock that up in a safe."

"I agree," said Tikki. "I'd _love_ to search Gabriel myself, but somehow I think he'd notice me floating around him, and he's not too likely to nap while Marinette's visiting. But I'm thinking of something different. Think, Plagg. What's the only other Miraculous that's missing?"

Plagg considered that for a moment, then looked extremely startled. "Son of a..." he exclaimed, then flew next to Tikki, hurriedly. "Let me see that light!" he barked.

Seeing that he was onto something, Tikki handed it over, then watched Plagg dart into the safe himself. When he returned, he looked horrified and angry.

"It was there. _It was there_ , I'm sure of it. I can't believe that I floated _right past it_ and didn't realize what it was that day!" Plagg shouted.

"Shhhhh!" Tikki warned him. "Stay quiet! You're _sure?"_

"I'm sure," bemoaned Plagg. "I wasn't paying attention, I was hungry, and Adrien thought the Book was more interesting, so we took that. But I'd bet _anything_ that the Peacock Miraculous was sitting there that day. _Damn it!_ It hadn't occurred to me at all that it might even be on this _continent_. If I hadn't been an _idiot_ that day, think of all that we could've stopped before it happened..."

"Plagg... listen to me, please. We're here _right now_ because you _were_ paying attention," Tikki reassured him. "And that's not a small thing. You realize what the Peacock implies _,_ don't you?"

 _"Oh,_ yeah. Big, big, _big_ trouble. C'mon." He floated down to the floor panel where the elevator platform was hidden. "Something in that painting triggers this down here; it's like a vertical platform. He pushed buttons in the painting and it went _whoosh_. I don't want to try setting it off, because I don't know how to send it back up. Drop down, like, a meter with me."

The pair descended through the floor, into the elevator shaft. Tikki looked at Plagg, appearing startled. "Well... you weren't smoking anything strange after all," she admitted. "You said this goes to two hidden places?"

"Yup. And I have a _really bad_ feeling about what we're about to find in the first one. Follow me."

* * *

Marinette stretched out on Adrien's sofa, feeling much more relaxed than earlier. "My goodness," she giggled. "A girl could get used to hanging out in luxury like this."

"I hope that she will," grinned Adrien, plopping down next to her. "But I like your room just as much."

"But, all this... stuff!" Marinette gestured around her. "I know that you don't flaunt that your family is wealthy, but it _does_ come with some benefits."

"That's just it, though. It's just... stuff," reasoned Adrien. "It's like I always say. Sure, it's nice in a lot of ways, but it's not better... it's just _different,_ and it has its downsides, too. If I had a room like yours, a cozy little hideaway with a balcony with a great view, somewhere where I could just go and hide away and think..."

"As if you're not welcome _there_ any time. As long as we keep the door open so my parents don't feel like they have to snoop," said Marinette, with a satisfied smile.

"I'm serious, Marinette. We've talked about some of that 'celebrity' problem before... if you're with me, you're liable to become a minor celebrity, too. I won't guarantee that they'll harass you - I don't get hassled _that_ often, and I'm the one on the posters - but remember our day at the movies, with the towel turban and the helmet?"

"How can I forget?" said Marinette, getting serious. "It was kind of fun, but I've never been chased by paparazzi before." _Or nearly sent my love falling to his death afterwards,_ she recalled with a little shudder.

"I'm a little worried that the next time that happens, it'll be _both_ our faces on the front page of the Style section, or all over social media, or reporters will be all over your parents' bakery looking for the inside story on Adrien Agreste's Mystery Girl!" Adrien looked at her with concern in his eyes. "I mean, it's a little late _now_... like I said, you're _stuck_ with me, Marinette Dupain-Cheng..."

"I'd better be," Marinette replied, laying her head on his shoulder affectionately. "Because I'm not going anywhere, either. And if cameras arrive, I bet that they'll get bored with me pretty quickly. My dad would get a kick out of showing them all of his latest croissant recipes, though."

Inside, Adrien felt fluttery. _Seems familiar, doesn't it?_ he thought. _The night of the storm, Ladybug sat here just like this, cuddling with me, telling me that she'd tell me all her secrets if she only could._

 _I have to trust Master Fu's judgment... he told me to ride this out, follow her lead, and let him speak with her before doing anything crazy. Well, crazier than I already got away with doing. But at some point, she _has_ to know my secret, that I'm-_

"Adrien?" asked Marinette.

"Hmmm?" Adrien replied, a little startled. "Oh! I'm so sorry..."

"What's on your mind?" she asked. "You went, like, a million miles away for a moment there."

"Nothing major. Just... I don't know, enjoying the moment, the peace here with you," he said, gently. "I only get so much peace in my life at a time, and I owe most of it to you."

"Then let's enjoy some more of it while we can," Marinette smiled up at him. "I don't know about you, but I'm just... overloaded after all of that. Let's take a moment, okay?"

"I would like nothing more," Adrien whispered back.

The pair sat there for a short time, wordlessly, silently, eyes closed, just enjoying the perfect closeness.

A yawn was the only sound in the room... and then another.

* * *

"First floor," barked Plagg. "Dark room, _really_ weird energy, and freakin' _bugs_ landing on me in the dark."

"I can feel the energy already... and it's _not_ feeling good. As for the bugs," mused Tikki. "Three guesses?"

"First two don't count," he replied, glumly.

Cautiously, the two passed through the doorway into the hidden room...

* * *

"Adrien? Marinette?"

Nathalie stood at Adrien's doorway, knocking softly on the open door. She could see heads, so she knew the teens were side-by-side on the sofa, but they weren't responding or moving.

 _Odd... Maybe they've got earbuds in with one of their phones, or something?_

She crept forward slowly, not wanting to startle them. "Adrien? I just wanted to let you know that..."

Nathalie trailed off as she reached the sofa... and caught her breath when she found two catnapping teenagers, leaning against each other, Adrien's arm over Marinette's shoulders, Marinette's head resting on his shoulder, her legs tucked underneath her with her shoes down on the floor.

All at once, Nathalie recalled what a _Squeeeeeee!_ was and how to perform a very loud one without making any actual sound.

 _Oh! This is just so... I'd take a picture, but they deserve their privacy. But how much more adorable can they _get_?_

A little something stirred inside her, deep down. _After everything we've put Adrien through... and everything Marinette has done to support him... they both deserve every bit of happiness they can get. I just hope that after... things happen as they have to... they can stay this way._

 _They just have to._

 _I hate to wake them, but..._

A hand on Adrien's shoulder brought him back to awareness, and his small movement made Marinette stir, then open her own eyes. "Oh!" Marinette exclaimed, looking a little embarrassed. "Hi! We, um, were sitting quietly together and we must've... dozed off?"

"Must've," agreed Adrien, a bit sleepily.

"Hello there," Nathalie smiled at the two of them. "I'm sorry to wake you like this... but your father sent me to let you know that dinner will be served in just a few minutes. Shall we expect you, or should I have plates brought up?"

"Oh, we're coming, we're coming," Adrien mumbled, as he helped Marinette back to a fully upright position. "Give us five minutes?"

"Absolutely. We'll expect you shortly," Nathalie replied, grinning, as she headed for the door.

Marinette slipped her heels back on, then cracked up laughing. "I cannot _believe_ that she just caught us like that," she smirked.

"Well, we were fully clothed, weren't we? Nothing to be ashamed about," Adrien remarked. "We were just... resting."

"Of course, I know that. But I can't imagine that we won't get teased about this sooner or later," Marinette replied, stifling another fit of laughter, "about us _sleeping together_ and it's only our second date!"

Adrien's face went _bright_ red... then he started laughing as heartily as Marinette was. "I doubt that Nathalie would go there... but we're guilty as charged, huh? Whatever will we tell our friends?" he sputtered through guffaws.

"C'mon, you. Let's go make an appearance before we dig any more holes for ourselves," Marinette grinned, taking his hand. "A girl has to watch her reputation!"

* * *

"So this is it. This is where the end begins," Tikki said, solemnly.

The penlight, held in her tiny red hands, sent a thin but bright beam into the room. Small white butterflies danced around it, like moths surging to a light bulb in the night.

"I was hoping _so much_ that we were wrong _,_ " Tikki muttered. "Just this once. I mean, it's good that we've finally found him, but, _wow..._ what this is going to do to Adrien!"

"What _Gabriel's_ going to do to Adrien, if he finds out that his secret is out," snarled Plagg. "What he's _already done_ to him. He tried to Akumatize his own _SON._ He tried to tear his life apart just to make that Akuma _happen!"_

"I'm just as horrified, Plagg, but we need to stay calm and think. We need a plan," consoled Tikki, anxiously.

"Oh, you _think?_ We need a plan, _now._ We need five or six more plans after _that!"_ Plagg shouted. "We need to get Adrien _out of this house._ We need to get them _both_ out, but Adrien _lives_ here. He's in deadly danger _right now_ and he has no idea."

"Okay! Listen. You're right! We need to get Adrien out of here and to a safe place," Tikki replied, trying to bring Plagg's volume down. _"And_ to get Marinette to safety, and to do both of those without alerting Gabriel that he's been caught, and I don't know how we're going to do that! We need to find Nooroo; if the butterflies are here, _he's_ here, too. He's probably close to Gabriel at all times, and that's a problem. We have to reach Master Fu and let him formulate a plan. _And_ we have to see that other room downstairs!"

"Yes, we do, right now. You have to see what this man is capable of _without_ his mask," Plagg agreed. "Look. I'll show you to it, then I'm going up and packing Adrien's suitcase for him, so he can grab it and bolt out the window if he has to, and I'll meet you back down there. Find out everything you can."

"Can you even lift his suitcase by yourself?" wondered Tikki. "That's pretty hefty."

" _I have to try_ ," whimpered Plagg. "I will not let that boy come to harm."

Tikki replied, "He's lucky to have you. I really mean that," after a pause.

"Yeah, I know he is. Now, _let's move_ ," Plagg ordered, anxiously. "We have no time to waste."

* * *

Adrien led Marinette by the hand into the main dining room, where Gabriel and Nathalie were already seated on one side of the long table.

"The head of the table is yours, Mademoiselle, if you choose," Gabriel told Marinette, graciously.

"I appreciate your offer, Mr. Agreste, but..." She motioned to Adrien, and the two took seats directly across the table from Gabriel and Nathalie, leaving the head chair unoccupied. "That place is yours in your own home. I would rather be your guest than your guest of honor tonight. I hope that isn't rude," she said, feeling a little timid.

"Not at all. You impress me with your maturity, Marinette," smiled Gabriel in return. "You are... fourteen, as Adrien is?"

"I am," Marinette answered. "Adrien is a few months older than I am, but we're in the same class in school. I sit right behind him in homeroom and in Literature."

"He's told me all about you, even before you... connected like you have now," Nathalie added. "You were one of his first friends in public school, and certainly one of his favorite people."

"I think she's figured that part out by now," Adrien interjected, making all four of them chuckle.

"As I am sure that he has told you, I was skeptical at best of Adrien ending his homeschooling and spending his days there," Gabriel noted. "Not that Françoise Dupont has a poor reputation - quite the opposite, to be sure - but the later years of school have a long reputation for complicated social structures and unpleasantries. I worried about whom he might meet, who might influence him for better and worse, the possibility of bullying. Many people would think, 'Look, it's the little rich boy,' and assume so many things."

"Our class this year has been very refreshing that way," Marinette answered him. "We do have Chloé Bourgeois, and I think that name says enough on its own..." Marinette did enjoy the look of distaste on both Gabriel's and Nathalie's faces, as if they'd each just caught a whiff of sour milk. "But the rest of us have really come together as our own little family. We have our little tussles now and then, some friendly rivalries, but most of the time we are all friends together."

"I have to agree. I didn't know quite what to expect, either, but I started making friends there almost instantly. I was a person, not a celebrity or a sideshow," agreed Adrien. "I hope that many of us will remain together in that homeroom next year."

"There are random factors in the assignments, but usually, most of the same people end up together from year to year," Marinette explained. "So that's a good omen."

"It pleases me that he has found himself in good hands," replied Gabriel, smoothly.

"Either that, or we're all just huddled together hiding from Akumas," Adrien smiled.

Three heads turned to look at him. "I mean, every single person in that class has been targeted at least once, including the teacher!" he continued. "And that, I do not understand at _all_. Even Chloé can only be blamed for a handful of those."

"Even you, Marinette?" inquired Gabriel, leaning forward. "You seem like such a... positive person. It's hard to imagine you overwhelmed by negative emotions."

"We all have our weak moments sometimes," Marinette offered, suddenly feeling cautious and not knowing quite why. "I couldn't believe it when I heard that _Adrien_ was targeted! If anyone is a ray of sunshine in that class, it's _him."_

"I'm just a reflection of your light," Adrien said, making Marinette turn pink and Gabriel roll his eyes slightly.

"Between the two of you, it is hard to imagine anything negative standing a chance around you," he ventured. _Young love. Was I that sappy at that age?_ he smiled to himself. _Of course I was._

"I've... wondered about that at times," Marinette replied, "just because it seems so _strange_ to have so many victims come from such a small pool of people! If there is some kind of connection, I wish that we knew what it was."

"Who can fathom the mind of someone like this Hawkmoth person?" noted Gabriel, abruptly. "I can empathize, as I have been Akumatized myself, and I am a bit old for grade school."

"And yet... you _are_ a parent to someone in that class, Mr. Agreste. Other parents have been targeted as well; Sabrina's, Mylène's, both of Chloé's..." pondered Marinette. "It's as if Hawkmoth was searching for someone or something. Or there's some presence in that class that's particularly meaningful to him. But, like you said, who knows what he's after? We can't exactly invite him to dinner and ask him what he's thinking."

"Indeed... we cannot," Gabriel agreed, with a small but sly smile. He made a gesture, and the staff moved in with the first course. _Let's get away from_ __that_ line of inquiry, shall we?_ he chuckled to himself. _Marinette, you are a most perceptive young woman. I am finding more and more reasons to keep my eye on you._

* * *

Tikki took a deep breath, just outside the entrance to the large room that Plagg had described to her. As he zoomed back up the elevator shaft, she felt consumed by worry.

 _This is an utter disaster already. Adrien's life will be turned upside down at a minimum. If Hawkmoth is truly cornered, there's no telling how dangerous he may become. And just what am I going to find in here to make things even worse?_

Hesitantly, she edged forward into the darkness. She could see something gold under a small spotlight at the end of the long corridor, and headed towards it.

 _I must be careful. If this is Hawkmoth's house, and we now know that it is, who knows what kind of defenses or traps might be set up?_ she thought. _Though this really doesn't look like the kind of place for booby-traps._ _This is more... spiritual, almost. Reverential._

The object at the far end of the corridor grew closer as she flew, and her apprehensions grew as well. There was no mistaking the presence of some kind of figure in... whatever it was. As she got close to it, she waved the penlight through the glass panel on the front of it, and stared long and hard at its occupant.

 _That's... the woman from the portrait. That is Adrien's mother. There's no doubt about that; even without the painting to go by, her resemblance to Adrien is uncanny._

 _Now, the big question. WHY is she in there?_

Tikki leaned up against the glass, the penlight flush against it, trying to make out Emilie's condition. _She looks like she's... breathing! Very, very shallow... but I'm almost sure that I see it! I'm no doctor, but she looks like she's being... preserved on the edge of death, somehow._

 _The glass feels very cold. Is it... cryogenics, I think they call it, where she's frozen and waiting for medical science to catch up? And the machinery Adrien mentioned, and the backup power generators to keep it running... this is where it all went?_

 _Okay. Think, Tikki. So she's frozen, in a coma, or whatever. What in the world HAPPENED to her? Why is she not in a hospital, with real doctors caring for her, instead of... well... being a Popsicle in a secret basement?_

 _I _do not_ like this._

 _WHAT is he up to?_

As Tikki pondered all of this, she didn't see a figure circle behind her, hovering silently.

"I can turn the lights on, if that'll help," a tiny voice said, making Tikki whirl around with a loud gasp.

* * *

"The soup is delicious," beamed Marinette. "I can't say that I've ever tasted anything quite like it before."

" _Poisson a la Rouille_ ," Nathalie replied. "Whitefish, tomatoes, and a touch of saffron mayonnaise on top. It's not something our chef makes very often."

 _I'll say,_ marveled Adrien. _It's not, like, a fancy-fancy soup... but Father is definitely treating this like a special occasion._

"Now, the _gougeres_ I know well," Marinette added. "My father makes those for us at home, and I'll admit that your chef's are just as delicious... but I'm not telling my father that! These are made with Gruyere, I'm guessing?"

"Just so," said Gabriel. "I see that you know your baked goods as well as your fashion."

"Well, I come by it honestly," giggled Marinette. "I get quite an education around our kitchens."

"If I may pry... do both of your parents do the cooking and baking?" asked Gabriel, in a light voice. "The culinary arts are just as demanding and as individual as what I do, and I knew of your family bakery's sparkling reputation long before tonight. My bodyguard has a particular weakness for your profiteroles, and I'll confess, I do as well."

"That is one of my father's specialties, yes," she smiled. "As you can probably tell from my surname, my parents come from different cultures; my father is French to the core, and always says that baking is in his blood. And his father's and his grandfather's before him, as well. My mother is of Chinese descent; her parents moved to northern France when she was in her teens. My father handles the more intricate creations for the bakery, but my mother can and does make lots of what we offer, like breads and macarons. I can tell my father's profiteroles from my mother's, but most customers can't! They take turns in the family kitchen preparing meals. They come up with a little bit of everything."

"The Turkey Wellington her mother made for us was superb, Father," Adrien chimed in. "And you tasted the passionfruit tarts I brought back from her father's kitchen."

"And we would very much like to again," Nathalie grinned. "Those were _spectacular."_

"I will pass that on," Marinette grinned back. "Dad is always pleased to hear rave reviews like that."

"I would like to meet the two of them at some point," Gabriel added, "since their daughter and my son are clearly destined to remain close. They sound like fascinating people, and if they are even half as charming as their daughter, I am sure that we could carry on splendidly."

"I... suppose that we could arrange that," said Marinette, a bit off-balance. "I'm sure that they're curious about you, as well."

"And I, about you," smiled Gabriel. "Not to alarm you, but I have done a slight amount of homework on you, along with what my son has told me. You are quite accomplished for a young woman of your age!"

Marinette did her best to hold onto her glass of water. "Oh?" she managed.

"Not every teenager designs an album cover for Jagged Stone, for one," Gabriel continued. "A rare privilege indeed! Or designs a derby hat sufficiently stylish to end up on an Agreste runway... even though hats were clearly not your medium of choice."

"You could tell that?" asked Marinette. "And, yet, you still picked mine as the winner of the contest?"

"Why not?" he shrugged. "It was clearly the best-crafted of the group. What you lacked in direct experience, you made up for with skill and imagination, and your personal emblem worked into the design was a very clever touch. My son tells me that you are also a wizard with a game controller... one area where I will not challenge you, as I am all thumbs with such things... and that you took to fencing immediately, despite a similar lack of experience."

"He is very kind to say so," she replied, looking over at Adrien. "I wish that dexterity showed itself in other ways. I'm notoriously clumsy at times. How many times have you had to catch me so far, Adrien?"

"And, of course... you are also Ladybug," said Gabriel, following that with a slow sip of his wine.

* * *

Tikki gathered her composure as the shadowy figure flitted away. The lights came on, and a tiny purple Kwami with butterfly wings returned to her swiftly.

"It's good to see you, Nooroo," Tikki breathed. "You are well? You are safe?"

"As much as I can be," Nooroo sighed. "This year has been quite an ordeal. Obviously, you are aware of the significance of our meeting?"

"I am," nodded Tikki, solemnly. "We have found Hawkmoth at last. And we must do everything we can to end his evil and to free you from his grasp!"

"I felt you and the other Kwamis calling me not long ago, on my birthday. Was that what led you here?" he asked.

"It's... a long story?" evaded Tikki. "I'll tell you what we can once we've freed you. Right now, I can only say so much."

"I understand. I am limited in my actions, as well," Nooroo said, sadly. "The young woman upstairs, for instance. She may be your host, and she may not be your host. But even if you could tell me, I would not want to know for sure, lest I be _compelled to pass that on_ to my Master. But I am not _sure_ yet, you see? I simply know that Ladybug is somewhere fairly close by, or you couldn't be here! I am at my limits of how far I can travel freely, as well."

"He's ordered you to stay close, I take it? You are bound to his will?" Tikki asked. "That's good to know, and it explains much."

"Yes. My Master has ordered me to remain close at all times, and to not communicate with anyone besides him. Kwamis of your power can bend those rules a bit, of course... but he does not have to know that yet," sniffed Nooroo. "I have become a creature of semantics, like a genie of old, trying to twist the wording of my limitations; but, of course, my Master is clever and generally thorough in such matters. So do choose your words carefully! I do not wish to cause any unnecessary harm."

"I see," Tikki replied. "So this will be more difficult to pull off than I'd hoped. What can you tell me about Adrien's mother, here?" she asked, gesturing towards the chamber.

"She," intoned Nooroo, "is the reason why either of us are here right now."

* * *

Marinette did her best to keep her eyes from bugging out like a cartoon character's. She took a sip from her glass to give herself a few precious seconds to think. Next to her, Adrien was choking violently on his own water, which had gone down the wrong pipe; he was gesturing to her that he would be all right, whether or not he was sure of that.

"Wait. _I'm_ Ladybug?" she asked Gabriel, suppressing the quiver in her voice with every ounce of her remaining willpower. _"The_ Ladybug? You know, I really do think that I would _remember_ that."

"Of course you are," Gabriel replied, evenly. "You are Clara Nightingale's selection as Ladybug, for her music video, are you not? I was not there in person, but even over a tablet's webcam, I could have sworn that you are the girl Clara chose that day."

Marinette produced a laugh of genuine relief. "Ohhhh... _that!_ " she said. "Yes, yes, I was there that day. I thought - Adrien, are you sure that you're all right?"

"M'okay," Adrien gasped. "Swallowed... wrong."

Turning back to Gabriel, she smiled, "I thought I was going to _fall off the stage_ that day, being up there with Adrien, with everybody looking at us! But then the real Ladybug and Chat Noir came and saved the day, and _everyone_ got to be Ladybug and Chat in the video when they rewrote the script."

"Yes... a well-thought-out Plan B, as it turned out," said Gabriel, simply.

"For a second there, I thought that you meant that I was..." Marinette trailed off, still laughing.

Gabriel smiled, but remained silent.

 _THAT was an interesting reaction..._ he thought. _The girl played it very cool, without her nervousness that she has shown on other topics... and my son, who was nearly _dating_ Ladybug and knows her likely better than anyone else, nearly had a seizure at my words._

 _I meant that as a small joke, and an observation of our paths crossing previously! I did not mean to alarm either of them. Was it just that I mentioned Marinette's presumed former rival right in front of them? She did not seem to take offense, or show even more than momentary surprise._

 _Or..._

 _No. Nonsense. I cannot even fathom that Ladybug would have the cheek to date my son in AND out of costume. Or that this sweet, shy girl could be the daring and brash Ladybug! The mind boggles at the concept._

He gazed at her again, the gears in his head obviously turning, which caused Marinette to raise an eyebrow slightly in response. _And yet... she has the look, she has the build. Even the hairstyle. She is emotionally connected to Adrien, just as Ladybug is. She has a highly creative mind, much as my scarlet nemesis bedevils me with time and time again. And, though I stay in the shadows as Hawkmoth, do I not comport myself differently at those times?_

 _I do not know what to think. I must stall for time and consider this._

"Our main course should be out shortly, Marinette. I was just thinking that I had not adequately prepared you for it," said Gabriel. "I was not sure of your preferences in such things... so I had my chef prepare _two_ entrees. One is a Chateaubriand, which you and Adrien are welcome to split between you if it is to your liking; the other is a duck confit, of which there is plenty to go around if the Chateaubriand is not to your taste."

Marinette looked thoughtful. "They _both_ sound delicious, Mr. Agreste," she said. "I haven't had duck in a long time, but I do like it, and my mother prepares Chateaubriand on some special occasions. What do you think, Adrien? I'll follow your lead."

"Likewise," Adrien replied, having regained his voice. "I'll take some of both, if we have enough."

"Both it is," grinned Gabriel, signalling to the staff.

* * *

"My _goodness_ ," said Tikki, wonder on her face. "So _that's_ what all of this has been about?"

"That is it," Nooroo confirmed. "Gabriel wants the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous to wish his wife back to health and awareness. He knows the cost of the wish, and I do not think that he cares... or at least he has very few scruples as to who might pay that price. He feels desperate, as he feels the net of Ladybug and Chat Noir closing in, now that they have seen him up close. So if his capture is imminent... he will do anything, _anything_ to bring Emilie back for Adrien's sake, even more than for his own."

"And yet he _targeted_ Adrien, both with prolonged mental anguish and with an Akuma. Twice," argued Tikki. "Not exactly Father of the Year."

"He has something special in mind. He found something in the Book of Lore, or thinks that he did, anyway; I don't know all the details, or how he managed to translate any of it," explained Nooroo. "Something about a ritual, and strong emotional connections, family connections being vital to it. He thinks that an Akumatized Adrien would be the one and only proxy who could play a vital part in bringing Emilie back. The Peacock may be involved as well, but using it is _extremely_ dangerous; it was damaged long ago. It caused Emilie's current condition, and it nearly killed Nathalie when she used it against Gabriel's orders on Heroes' Day."

"The giant moth that appeared on the Eiffel Tower...?" asked Tikki. "So _that's_ what that was. I suspected as much."

"Do not underestimate it. Nathalie is aware of the danger, but she is very... fond of Gabriel. If she needs to, I doubt that she would hesitate to use it again," Nooroo noted.

"I can... actually empathize with him. I didn't think that was possible," murmured Tikki. "I thought he was trying to... I don't know, become Emperor of the World, or steal all the gold in Fort Knox, or send all the world's chickens to another dimension or something. This is all about... family?"

"In part. Why he went to Tibet to find the Miraculous in the first place, and why she went with him, you'd have to ask my Master. Perhaps he did have delusions of grandeur."

Tikki stared at Nooroo. "With the Cat and Ladybug's power together, they're _not_ delusions. You know that."

"And I agree. But, having learned fifty times that he's no match for your young heroes... his motives are now far purer than they once may have been." Nooroo looked weary. "It is a truth he has learned through pain and suffering, both his own and that of others. But it is a truth nonetheless."

"All right... I need to _think_. Things just got a dozen times more complicated, and they were twisted _already_." Tikki held her hands to her head. "I have to think about how to explain this to Plagg. He's already taking this very personally."

"He is?" asked Nooroo, looking confused.

As if on cue, Plagg picked that moment to come tearing down through the ceiling at high speed. "All right, Tikki, I've got Adrien's suitcase ready... hey, you turned on the lights?" he exclaimed; his eyes bugged out when he saw Nooroo next to Tikki.

"Plagg, you're here, too?" Nooroo called to him. "I _thought_ I saw you the other night, but I wasn't sure, and then when I caught Tikki here I assumed that it had been her!"

 _"You!"_ Plagg shouted. "You've been in this house the _whole time?_ You let Gabriel put _his own son_ in danger?!"

Nooroo recoiled, apologizing, "I didn't mean to! You _know_ that I had no choice. Once my Master controlled my Miraculous, I..."

"He's been _risking his life_ fighting your-" snapped Plagg.

"Plagg, _SHUT YOUR MOUTH NOW!_ This is _IMPORTANT!"_ shouted Tikki, knowing that it was already too late.

"Adrien... has been fighting Akumas?" asked Nooroo, a look of bewilderment on his face. " _He_ is _your_ host?"

Plagg looked on in horror as Nooroo put the pieces together. "Wait. How can you _BOTH_ be... oh dear, oh dear, oh dear," Nooroo panicked, then turned back to Tikki. "Are you two kidding me? This _can't_ be a coincidence. If Plagg is linked with Adrien... the Master and his young nemesis have been _under the same roof_ all this time? The two Miraculous that he seeks are _both in his dining room right now?_ "

"Make that ten or twelve dozen times more complicated," mumbled Tikki, as the room fell silent.

* * *

Next time:

* Desperate times call for very desperate plans.

* The next course is served.

* "We can use his wording to our advantage. We _have_ to... somehow."

* Cards, meet table.

* "My one remaining question for you is this..."

* "There is something that I wish to show you. In fact, I must insist."

* Sometimes the carrot _is_ the stick, and vice versa.


	19. The Last Dance to This Familiar Tune

Someone To Watch Over Me, Chapter 19: The Last Dance to This Familiar Tune

* * *

The secret sub-basement of the Agreste mansion was filled with silence, despite its three unexpected occupants. The only audible noise was a very slight hum of machinery, powering the capsule that contained Emilie Agreste's motionless form.

Nooroo appeared inconsolable, floating just above the ground, watching Plagg with wary eyes. The tiny cat appeared to be on the verge of an explosion, with his conflicted emotions holding it back... which, for him, was not necessarily just a metaphor.

Plagg started to speak two, three times, and held himself back. Finally, in a low voice, he managed, "...So we're all just going to sit here and _stare at each other_?"

"That sounds like a plan to me," whimpered Nooroo. "Because I don't want to move from this spot until I'm forced to. Not now."

Plagg glared at him, then turned to look at Tikki, whose eyes were closed and appeared to be concentrating intensely. "Any bright ideas, Sugarcube?" he asked her. "Looks like this is up to us, as usual."

Tikki gave him a measured look. "Don't take it out on Nooroo. This isn't his fault," she chided him. "And it's not yours, either. You know _exactly_ how this works; it's happened to _you,_ too. Twice in the last three thousand years that I know of."

He started to snap back an angry reply, then sagged, helplessly. "I know, I know. We don't get to pick our hosts, and if a baddie has a strong enough will, that's the ballgame," Plagg admitted. "But how the _hell_ did you never come find me, Nooroo, if we've been in this house together the whole time?"

"How did you not come find _me,_ if that was so easy to do?" replied Nooroo. "I had _no idea_ that you were here. The Master thought so, once, but the Young Master fooled him into thinking otherwise."

"Fair enough," conceded Plagg. "And I guess you never wondered where all the cheese in the fridge kept going?"

"I'm not a refrigerator inspector," Nooroo sniffed.

"Hold on," interrupted Tikki. "We need to know _precisely_ what we're dealing with now. Nooroo... you're saying that Gabriel definitely doesn't know that Adrien is Chat Noir?"

"Not that I am aware of," Nooroo replied. "I can't imagine that he wouldn't have acted if he did. Nor does he know of your host's identity... yet."

"That's something, at least," mused Tikki. "Now I wish that we'd been up there listening to their dinner conversation, to see if any of the three had figured anything out."

"We haven't heard any screaming or flying dishes, so they might be all right so far," shrugged Plagg. "But I need to get back up to Adrien, _fast_."

"Plagg, wait a minute," Tikki warned him. "Nooroo... you called him the 'Young Master.' Does _Adrien_ have any ability to influence you?"

"He does not; the Master holds the Miraculous. Only he can command me," sighed Nooroo. "That was a figure of speech."

"And what _exactly_ did he command you about passing on information?" Tikki persisted. "We can use his wording to our advantage. We _have_ to... somehow."

"That if I ever detected an intrusion of any sort by Ladybug or Chat Noir, to inform him _immediately,_ once he was in a place that my doing so would not compromise his own identity," Nooroo recited. "And, no, I can't split hairs and argue, 'Well, I only ran into their _kwamis_.' Intrusions don't get much more obvious than that."

"Blast it. That's exactly what I was going to suggest," mumbled Plagg. "So you're going to fly up there and spill the beans, and then he's going to go nuclear on them."

"I have no _choice!_ " Nooroo recoiled, with a mix of anger and despair. "Do you think that I _enjoy_ watching every second of my powers being perverted, through the Akumas' eyes? Innocents being endangered and hurt? Even if I know _why_ he is doing it, and a tiny part of me empathizes with him..."

" _Empathizes?"_ roared Plagg.

"Plagg," Tikki barked, interposing herself between the two, "you need to _listen_. We are absolutely going to stop Hawkmoth any way that we can, but you need to hear _why_ Gabriel's done what he's done and what he's intending to do."

"This better be _good_ ," snarled Plagg, folding his arms but holding his position.

* * *

"Whoof," Adrien exhaled. "I think I'm overdoing it tonight, but this is _so good_."

Gabriel raised an eyebrow at him, mentally weighing the amount of food that had disappeared from Adrien's plate so far. "Just remember, young man, the scale awaits," he smirked.

"I know, I know, and we haven't even hit dessert yet. My legs are tired already," Adrien smiled, begrudgingly. He turned to Marinette and explained, "My dieticians have me on a fairly restrictive meal plan. I balance out what I eat, including 'cheat days' like this one, against my typical exercise regimen and do whatever's necessary to keep my caloric intake steady. If I pig out, that means running laps, extra reps on the weights, more sparring with my karate instructor..."

"Which is one of my few qualms about my son dating you, Marinette. Every time he visits you, I would imagine that the Boulangerie's delights are a horrible temptation," smiled Gabriel in her direction.

"Oh, I know all about that. I _live_ there; our whole house smells like delicious calorie bombs on a good day," she replied, cheerfully. "I'm young enough to have a fast metabolism, and I try to stay fit and active, but there are days when a _dacquoise_ is just screaming my name."

Inside, she giggled, _If he only knew about the snacks that my Mom slips Adrien on school mornings!_

"I have seen your father in the shop, and that one time on television. Some say a sign of the highest quality product is when even its creator cannot resist sampling it," added Gabriel, slyly.

"Once in a while, he'll 'test' what he makes. He's naturally big, though; our family tree has a lot of... wait. _You watched_ that episode of _Fill My Shoes_?" gasped Marinette.

"It popped up in reruns one weekend," Gabriel shrugged, then smiled a small but wicked smile. "Little did I know that it would be free advertising for our lead model."

Adrien stared hard at his father. He could _feel_ the heat of Marinette's blush without turning his head.

"Father... many of those pictures of me were on her wall before we'd even met, and definitely before she'd had any romantic interest. She is heavily into fashion, after all." He turned to Marinette and winked, "She told me so, right?"

"I... did," Marinette managed, still burning with embarrassment. "We've talked about how that happened, and how mortified I was."

"If it's any comfort at all, Marinette... I felt for you _so much_ that day," Nathalie told her. "I was amazed that _you_ didn't get Akumatized instead of Mr. Stone's assistant."

"It took some effort," Marinette admitted.

"Absolutely nothing to be ashamed of, my dear. I apologize sincerely for putting you at unease," Gabriel intoned, trying not to enjoy her reaction too much. Another thought came to him. "Speaking of being into fashion, Marinette... have you ever done any modeling work? Even non-professionally," he inquired.

"M-me? A model?" boggled Marinette, now caught completely off-guard. "Mr. Agreste, you must be joking."

"Am I?" he asked, in a nonchalant tone. "Obviously, not every beautiful girl indulges in such. But you have a certain look about you that I could see fitting many of our juniors' lines; a natural beauty that could complement just about anything in those sizes. If you would have an interest, perhaps you and Adrien could do a test photoshoot sometime together, and see how the results would turn out?"

To himself, he smiled, _Let us see if _this_ particular bait gets snatched up._

Adrien looked pleasantly startled. "That... _actually_ , that could be a lot of fun for both of us!" he replied, with some wonder at the suggestion having been made at all. "I did invite you to watch one of my photoshoots that one time; I can only imagine how great posing _with_ you could be." He took one look into Marinette's eyes, however, and backpedaled rapidly. "Oh, but _only_ if it's something that you would want to do! I would never pressure you that way."

"Mr. Agreste..." Marinette replied, in a weak voice. "I appreciate your idea... it's very kind of you to think of me like that... very _startling_ that you'd consider me for anything like that!" she gasped. "But do you remember when I said I nearly fell off the stage that time with Clara Nightingale? That _might_ be enough time in front of cameras for me for a lifetime."

"It would not have to be anything formal. As lovely as you are tonight in your unique creation, the initial shoots would be just you and Adrien, interacting as you would normally, in your everyday attire. Those results would be for our eyes only... but your answer seems clear, at least for the moment. Should you ever change your mind, let Adrien know and we can make an arrangement," offered Gabriel.

"You create amazingly beautiful clothes, Mr. Agreste. I would rather help create them than pretend that I'd qualify to pose in them," blushed Marinette. "But thank you _so much_ for your kind words. I couldn't be more flattered."

 _And I thought my heart was pounding hard when I thought he knew that I was LADYBUG!_ she exhaled, privately. _Our n_ _ext date's at MY place, Adrien, or else!_

* * *

Plagg floated silently, remaining very, very still for several moments.

"It makes a... certain amount of sense," he conceded, very grudgingly. "Not enough to excuse _anything_ that he's done. But enough that maybe I'll Cataclysm him all at once instead of piece by piece."

Nooroo stared at Tikki. "I _think_ that's just a metaphor. It had better be," Tikki explained, glancing at Plagg meaningfully.

Plagg smiled a grim smile, but chose not to otherwise answer that.

"Tikki, can you Lucky Charm anything that might help?" asked Nooroo. "Pull something useful out of thin air, quite literally?"

Tikki thought about that. "Not very well," she replied. "I mean, I could try... but who would pick it up and use it, or know _how_ to use it? It works so much better in conjunction with an active host. I need to get back to Marinette and get her _away_ from Gabriel long enough to explain the situation."

"But then I'll be compelled to go back to the Master, and tell him what I've found out... and we know what that means," lamented Nooroo. "So we need our plan of action first."

"What am _I_ going to explain to Adrien?" Plagg wondered aloud. "Hey, um, your father's secretly Hawkmoth, _and_ he tried to Akumatize you, _and_ your mother's still alive, but not _really_ , she's freakin' _frozen_ in a tube in a secret room and he wants your Miraculous and Ladybug's to try to fix her. So if you fight him, you're stopping what's probably his mother's only chance. Oh, and Nathalie has the Peacock, so don't trust her, either. And for all I know any more, the Gorilla has his own Miraculous and sells children on the side."

Nooroo thought briefly. "I wouldn't worry about him as much," he told Plagg. "The Master has conspired with Nathalie quite a bit, but he doesn't tell the bodyguard much of anything. In fact, he's Akumatized him twice so far. He may be loyal to the Master, but he's not involved in Hawkmoth's schemes at all. I don't know what he'd do if pressed."

"A small comfort," Plagg replied. "Regardless, any part of what I just said will have Adrien on the ropes, and I can't blame him at all." He paused for a moment, his eyes closed, his senses on full alert... then he sighed loudly.

"What is it? What's going on?" asked Tikki, with some alarm.

"They've reached the cheese course," grumbled Plagg.

" _Really?_ _That's_ what you're thinking about?" Tikki boggled. "I know you have a one-track mind, but..."

"Not _just_ for that!" he snarled back. "It means that they have that and dessert to go and then they're done with dinner, and then any of them might start wandering the house. If we want to act without being seen, we need to do it soon."

"You can sense cheese through fifty meters of concrete and dirt?" marveled Nooroo.

"When properly motivated," replied Plagg, without a lot of pride in it. "All right. What are we going to _do?_ "

"I have one idea. But I doubt that you're going to like it... because I _hate_ it," sighed Tikki.

* * *

"Mademoiselle?" the server prompted Marinette, presenting a wooden board with a variety of fine cheeses on it. "As our guest, first selection is yours."

"Hmmm. So many good choices..." smiled Marinette. She carefully carved out a small wedge of Mimolette, a little bit of the milder of the two bleus available, and a tiny wedge of Camembert.

"Adrien really _must_ be smitten!" grinned Nathalie, as the board moved to her table position. "He's letting you take some of his beloved Camembert."

"Actually... I'm not all that crazy about Camembert," Adrien said, his nose wrinkling a bit. "It's okay, I guess, but there are others I like better."

That made both Gabriel and Nathalie freeze in surprise. "What?" his father asked, with a startled expression. "We go through ungodly amounts of Camembert around here every week. I thought it was your favorite!"

"I, um..." Adrien realized his slip-up and desperately tried to think up a cover story. "I don't know, I have... cravings, sometimes. Are you sure that the Gorilla isn't eating some of it?"

"I'd rather doubt it," Nathalie said. "Whenever I take it out of the fridge and he's around, he reacts like I'm waving a week-old dirty sock at him. He's quite theatrical about it."

"I think I'm with Adrien on this. I like Camembert, but I'm not, like, crazy about it," added Marinette, her fork halfway to her mouth. "But if you _do_ really like it, Adrien, I can make sure that we have some in our fridge whenever you visit."

 _He is acting... strangely about that, but I don't know why. I wonder what it is?_ she thought.

"Don't go to any great lengths to do that... but that would be very nice of you to do," Adrien replied.

"Anything to keep you coming back more often," winked Marinette. "Whenever you are able, of course. I know that you have many other responsibilities and a very busy schedule, but when you _are_ free, you know who'll be waiting."

She punctuated that with a meaningful glance at Gabriel and Nathalie, as if to hint, _Yes, I _am_ aware that you will keep him busy with modeling and business engagements and karate and Chinese and piano and everything else. I am filling in the gaps in his life, not tearing him away from all of that._

"That's good to hear," Nathalie replied. "Not everyone would be as thoughtful about that sort of thing, Marinette."

"Adrien and I have been talking about such topics recently," Gabriel added, pulling the table's attention his way. "There are some areas where we will butt heads now and then... and what teenage boy and his father do not? But my son has grown into a fine young man, and as such deserves more room to grow. Which includes making time for... certain new priorities in his life."

He watched Adrien squirm slightly as he continued. "For instance, not too long ago, I could not have pictured myself having a quiet dinner with my son and his _girlfriend!_ It seems like just yesterday that Adrien was still in short pants. But his choice of companion, and the good things that I have seen blossoming in him since she entered his life, show me that he must have excellent judgment in such things."

"Mr. Agreste... I'm sure that I'm blushing _so hard_ right now," stammered Marinette with a wide smile, and there was no doubt that she was correct in that self-assessment. "Thank you, Sir."

Adrien's face looked like he'd just won the lottery, as he looked back and forth between the two of them with a giant smile on his face. Nathalie did much the same, a bit overwhelmed by what she'd just heard.

 _I really do think that Gabriel _likes_ this girl,_ she thought. _I mean, what's not to like? But he seems genuine. He's not just stringing her along as a pawn._

 _Of course, this_ __is_ Gabriel I'm talking about. He could really like this girl _and_ be stringing her along as a pawn._

* * *

"Tikki, what is it that you're thinking of?" asked Nooroo, nervously.

"A question. Think on Gabriel's exact wording. You are compelled to tell Gabriel if you detect an intrusion of any sort by Ladybug _or_ Chat Noir. Well, you have, so we're stuck there. But..." Her eyes gleamed as she continued, staring intently at Nooroo. "Do you need to tell Gabriel immediately that you've detected an intrusion by _both of them?_ "

"What are you getting at, Tikki?" Plagg wondered, looking a bit confused.

"We are about to lose our element of surprise; I don't know how we're going to avoid that. But instead of giving up _both_ their secret identities, can we give up just one _unless_ he asks you specifically about the other?" Tikki cringed at the look Plagg was giving her, hearing this. "I know that if he grills you for every detail, you have no choice. But if he leaves any openings or wiggle room, can you tell him only what he asked you and _not_ what he _didn't_ ask yet?"

"I'm... not sure," Nooroo replied. "But I... think I can? It'll take all the willpower I have, but I think I see where you're going with this. I can't lie to him and claim that I found nothing, but perhaps I can stall him long enough to give one of them extra leeway to act. Or to escape, not yet exposed."

"I can't believe what I am hearing," Plagg stammered. "We're going to let him tell Gabriel _either_ of their secrets?"

"Plagg, _listen_ to me. If we do nothing, as soon as we leave here, Hawkmoth will know that Marinette is Ladybug _and_ that Adrien is Chat Noir." Tikki's eyes burned with intensity as she spoke. "Which means that we may be looking at a final battle here. Ladybug and Chat Noir versus Hawkmoth in his own lair, and maybe Mayura, too, or whatever horrible Akuma that he can strap onto Nathalie. The last time Hawkmoth felt cornered, he nearly destroyed the city, and I'd bet money that 'Scarlet Moth' involved a willing recipient... Three guesses who that would be."

She frowned. "And even if Nathalie stays out of it, the last time that we fought him two-on-one, our hosts were _losing_ that fight! But if one or both of them can get away and contact Master Fu, get to the other hosts, maybe spread some Zodiacs around and call in the biggest cavalry we can, we might just stand a chance."

"Is a fight inevitable, once my Master knows?" asked Nooroo. "This could get _extremely_ messy."

"You tell me," sighed Tikki. "You know Hawkmoth better than I do. Is he likely to forgive and forget and offer dessert, once he learns that his targets are _literally within his arm's reach_?"

"Point taken."

"I would rather avoid a fight if we can, but if there has to be one, I don't want _just_ Ladybug and Chat against them. So stall-and-run seems prudent," Tikki continued. And I think you'll agree, Plagg, that getting Adrien out of this house has to be priority one. Once Gabriel knows his secret, that's our nightmare scenario for him."

"So what you're saying is, get them both out of there, but as Adrien in Ladybug's arms, or Marinette in Chat Noir's, whichever one Nooroo has to give away to Gabriel." reasoned Plagg. "One life probably wrecked to protect the other's. And we know that both of them would do that for each other, if they had to. So what do we do, draw straws?"

"No," Tikki said. Plagg and Nooroo saw a tear run down her cheek.

"I think I know how this has to be," she added, very, very quietly.

* * *

"You would _do that_ to her?" Plagg gasped.

"No. I would not do that _to_ her. But I have full certainty that she would volunteer," Tikki replied, resignedly. "And Adrien has... this is going to tear him apart one way or the other, once he finds out about his father's secret or his mother's resting place. If I can spare him one _more_ trauma, even temporarily... look, I'm still thinking this through as I go, okay? _Help me_ figure out a better way!"

"We're trying!" Plagg insisted. "I'm just not... you're the thinker of the two of us, you know? I'm the blower-upper."

"So that's Plan A," finished Tikki, glumly. "If either of you have a Plan B in your head, I would _really like to hear it now_ in the next few minutes, before our hand is forced. Or if either of you have a way to keep Nooroo from contacting Gabriel..."

"I have a way," Nooroo interjected. "But you're not going to like it... and _I_ hate it."

"Go on..." said Plagg and Tikki, simultaneously.

"Cataclysm me."

* * *

"Annnnnnd... we're moving on to Plan C," Tikki declared, quickly and emphatically.

"Tikki... it would solve the problem in one stroke," Nooroo pleaded with her. "It would remove Hawkmoth as a threat, and free me from his chains of will. It would prevent Gabriel from knowing their identities. It would buy you time to do what you need to do."

"And it could destroy you completely. Or it could remove you from this plane of existence and leave you as a disembodied spirit, forever! Or it could wipe out the entire _metaphysical concept_ that you represent. It's far too dangerous!" Plagg exclaimed. "We don't know what would happen. It would cause... we talked about this centuries ago, Tikki. What did you call them?"

"Massive eddies in the space-time continuum," recited Tikki, dutifully.

"Yeah, that. Well, Massive Eddie's not coming anywhere near that on _my_ watch," declared Plagg. "Out of the question."

"Even to save your young host?"

" _Do not even present that as a choice,_ " Plagg shouted. "Okay, Plan C. One of us contains Nooroo by any means necessary. You magic up a Lucky Hamster Ball That Can Capture Kwamis For Ten Minutes, Tikki. Or you go up there and I, um, _wrestle_ Nooroo or something. Anyway, whoever goes up gives their host quick instructions. They transform. Gabriel can't, because Nooroo's not there. Ladybug or Chat Noir grabs the Moth Miraculous and the other host and runs for the hills. _Then_ we call in the cavalry and capture a powerless Gabriel. Probably still have at least one blown identity, but the only ones who know are Nathalie and Gabriel and nobody listens to them in prison, and we avoid a huge fight."

Tikki ran the mental math, quickly. "That's... better. Kind of. But still very risky! Nathalie could use the Peacock and leave the hero one-on-one against whatever she conjures up. Gabriel could hang onto the Moth somehow and we're back to square one. Nooroo, are you close enough for Gabriel to call you back and transform?"

"I am," Nooroo confirmed. "He won't let me travel out of that range. I'm close to the edge of it now, but there's enough wiggle room that he could be on the roof and still summon me. Plagg, here's a thought... you could go up there yourself, fly up to the Master before he even knows what's going on, and Cataclysm his Miraculous. It's a brooch on his chest."

"Which would wipe you off this plane permanently, or until someone figures out how to make a new Miraculous. We don't exactly have the instruction manual for that any more," retorted Plagg. "I'm still kind of mad at you, but not _that_ mad. And if it comes to destroying a priceless mystic artifact capable of incredible good if someone who's not an _asshat_ has it, versus blowing one person's identity... the Guardian would have my skin if I chose that. Even as special as these two kids are."

"And if they lunge for it and miss, or if Gabriel sees them transform and calls Nooroo back immediately, we're back to plan A," reasoned Tikki. "I don't know that we _have_ any good way out of this! I'm looking for the _least bad_ option."

"And the clock is ticking fast," added Nooroo, nervously.

* * *

The conversation around the dinner table continued to flow, light and cordial. Gabriel's questions seemed centered around the Dupain-Cheng family and Marinette's everyday life; if he had any disapproving feelings about what he heard, he showed no sign. Marinette and Adrien retold the story of how they met and their subsequent meet-cute on the steps, to which Nathalie chuckled, "I had wondered where that umbrella went."

"Believe me, it's still in my room and in perfect condition," Marinette giggled. "I may buy a display case for it someday."

"Glad to hear it. Did Adrien ever tell you where that umbrella had come from?" Nathalie asked.

"N-no... is it something special? I mean, apart from who lent it to me," she replied. "It's obviously of very fine craftsmanship."

Adrien looked at Marinette with a sincere smile. "It was my mother's," he said. "It wasn't, like, a family heirloom or anything, but it was one of hers."

That hit Marinette like a freight train. "Your... _mother's?_ And you gave it to _me_ , when you hardly even knew me back then?" she gasped.

"Maybe I had a premonition, or something," he laughed. "Maybe I knew from the beginning that you were someone special. Maybe I felt terrible that I'd hurt you without meaning to, even though that was a mistake, and I wanted to try and win some of your trust back. I thought of asking about it a couple of times, but once I got to know you better, it didn't seem important to reclaim. I knew that it was in very good hands."

"No... _no,_ Adrien! If I had known that... oh, I feel _terrible_ for hanging onto it all this time!" she said, her face falling with her mood.

"Marinette..." Adrien turned to face her, taking her hands in his. "You have been important to me for a very long time. It took me long enough to realize just _how_ important..." he smiled, sheepishly, "but you have no reason to worry about that gift. Kind of like how a girl who didn't know _me_ very well yet gave me her handmade lucky charm one day. If I hadn't meant to do it... I wouldn't have done it."

Her eyes shone back at him...

A loud *BREEP* from Gabriel's direction broke the moment. He pulled his phone out and stared at it for a moment, then closed his eyes briefly. "I regret that I must leave you all, briefly. This is a call that I must take, or at least return promptly."

He stepped around the table and stood by Marinette's chair; she rose to meet him. With wide eyes, she watched as the distinguished gentleman reached out, took her hand and kissed the back of it, politely.

 _"Enchanté,_ Mademoiselle. I sincerely hope that you have enjoyed your evening with us, and that you will return to visit us soon," he smiled, disarmingly. "Nathalie, would you provide them with company until I return? Lionel has identified a shipping snafu with the potential to put us in breach of contract. I fear that dessert may be long over by the time that I untangle this."

"My pleasure, Sir," she replied. With that, Gabriel strode off in the direction of his atelier and private office.

* * *

In mid-thought, Nooroo stiffened abruptly. "What is it, Nooroo?" asked Tikki, with considerable concern.

"The Master is on the move. I feel like he is... he is heading for his private office," Nooroo whimpered.

Plagg looked unimpressed. "So?" he asked.

"A place where Nooroo's informing Gabriel would not compromise his own identity," Tikki sighed. "Hold on as long as you can, Nooroo."

"I'm trying..." grunted Nooroo, clearly feeling strain. "He is... distracted by something. But if he summons me, I will have to answer immediately, and I cannot... make myself... stay away much longer. What do... we do now?"

"Great. Freakin' _great,"_ Plagg snarled. "So Gabriel could know Ladybug's identity thirty seconds from now."

"Which means that we have to _move_ _NOW_." Tikki let necessity override her doubts and became a red blur in the air. "All right. Plagg, you and I need to get the kids _out_ of there. Separate rooms at first, if we can. I'll get Marinette to make an excuse and step away, and I'll inform her of the danger we're in. You get Adrien upstairs and away from his father."

"So you're going that way for sure," said Plagg, flatly. _"This_ is the big plan, to split the team."

"I _have to,_ " Tikki insisted. "Hawkmoth preys on emotion. When Adrien discovers his father's identity OR anything about his mother, he will be devastated, and against Hawkmoth that could be a huge liability. It's not his fault. We _will_ tell him what's going on when we can. But, right now, do _you_ think he's ready?"

Plagg stared at Tikki. "...No, he's not," he agreed. "But he will fight me every step of the way."

"We will need Chat Noir soon, don't get me wrong! We will need everyone that he can bring us to face Hawkmoth, I fear. If Ladybug can reach him first and carry Adrien out of there, great! If she gets tied up with Hawkmoth, only he can reach Master Fu in time," explained Tikki. "I am _trusting your judgment_ in what to tell him, and when. You know him better than anyone, Plagg. Don't let him down."

At Plagg's nod, Tikki turned back to Nooroo. "As for you... do what you have to do. But _remember what I told you!_ Rules-lawyer the heck out of him. Disclose only what you absolutely have to. The longer you can delay Gabriel from knowing everything, the more time I'll have to instruct Ladybug to either get Adrien the heck out of there or to prepare to ambush Hawkmoth. And to get _her_ emotions as stable as I possibly can; this is going to rock her world, too."

Nooroo shook his head, fighting off his compulsion with the last of his will. "If... you're going to do that... do it... now," he mumbled, through pursed lips. "I am _so_ sorry. And if I need... to be stopped... I will understand."

Plagg winced. "It will not come to that... but point taken," he nodded to Nooroo. "Shall we?" he asked Tikki.

"Since we must," Tikki replied, with determination. _And may Marinette forgive me someday._

Two blurs of motion swooped into the room's ceiling and disappeared, followed soon after by a third.

* * *

Adrien looked at Marinette and shrugged. "Story of our lives," he told her. "Family time vanishes instantly when business beckons."

"He does not do so lightly. You know that," Nathalie chided him. "Especially tonight... because, well, I've never seen anything quite like what I just saw. Marinette, if you were worried about getting Gabriel's approval... you can stop worrying right now!"

"I don't know that I'll ever _not_ worry about that... but I kind of got that impression," Marinette replied, her tone expressing how much of that was understatement. "I was _not_ expecting those kinds of reactions!"

"He did everything but offer you your own bedroom and office suite here," Adrien marveled. "I don't know what _I_ expected... but tonight has been amazing!"

"Marinette, I can tell you this much. Things around here have been... difficult for all of us recently, but especially for Adrien. His father and I have seen that, and... struggled with what to do about it," said Nathalie, choosing her words exceedingly carefully. "Gabriel wants what's best for Adrien, and so do I. And _anyone_ can see how good the two of you are for each other. I... haven't always been fair to you in the past, and I want to apologize for that. But I-"

Marinette's attention was diverted by something tugging _hard_ at her dress, below the tabletop where no one else could see it. She looked down, and saw Tikki - _a VERY ALARMED Tikki,_ she thought, with alarm of her own rising at the sight - staring up at her.

"Oh! One second, please? I seem to have dropped something," she said, then got down on her knees for a moment as if searching the floor by her chair. " _What?_ " she whispered to Tikki.

" _MASSIVE EMERGENCY._ Get to somewhere private _now_. Bathroom. I'll explain there," hissed Tikki, who then dove into Marinette's clutch purse.

Marinette climbed back up to her chair with a somewhat dazed expression. "May... I be excused for just a moment? I need to, um... tend to something briefly."

Nathalie gave her a slightly confused look back, but pointed to a nearby hallway and instructed, "The bathroom is the first door on the left."

"Thank you!" Purse in hand, Marinette headed quickly in the designated direction, with a brief look back at a questioning-faced Adrien. She gave him the slightest shrug she could manage. _Whatever this is can't be helped. I'll be back to you as soon as I can,_ she thought.

Adrien watched her go, then looked over at Nathalie. "What happened?" Nathalie mouthed in his direction.

"I'm... not sure," Adrien answered. "I..."

His own expression changed just then, as he felt something tugging hard at his pants pocket.

* * *

Gabriel stood in his office, his door shut, his mind shifting gears rapidly to business mode. "Lionel, this is _pointless_. There is no way that we can have the full couture line out by Wednesday without owning a time machine," he barked, listening to somewhat panicked responses on the other end of the line. "I _know_ what we signed off on," he replied. "Tell them... _I_ am telling you to tell them that what they want is unworkable and is not in the contract. ...I _know_ that. I do not _care_ in the slightest."

The rapid-fire jargon continued for a few minutes. Gabriel's fury mounted as it went along... and abruptly ceased when he saw a tiny purple figure fly into the room and hover in front of him, silently.

"Lionel... one moment, please. I- _one moment."_ He put the phone on mute and whirled to face Nooroo. "What is the meaning of this interruption?" Gabriel hissed. "I told you _never_ to interrupt me when I am discussing business unless it is of _immense_ importance."

"Master... there is something that I need to tell you," said Nooroo, very quietly. "I truly wish that I didn't have to."

Gabriel listened... and turned paler than he'd ever been in his life.

After a moment of contemplation, Gabriel unmuted his phone. "Lionel?" he said, weakly. "I will... have to call you back. If I can."

He slumped down into his office chair, limply.

* * *

Adrien looked down at his lap, thoroughly puzzled. Nathalie heard a loud clanging sound on his side of the table, abruptly.

"Oh, dear. I seemed to have dropped my fork," said Adrien, absently. He leaned down for a moment, much as Marinette had, and rose with a similarly shocked facial expression.

"I... may I be excused as well, for just a moment? I need to... run up to my room and get something," he asked Nathalie.

"What is it that you need?" Nathalie asked, now very perplexed.

"...Something."

The young man hopped up and made a beeline for the stairs. Nathalie sat very still, debating what it was that had just happened.

 _Was it something I said?_ she wondered.

* * *

Marinette Dupain-Cheng leaned against the sink counter in the hall bathroom to steady herself. It was all that was keeping her standing at that moment.

"I don't have time to say this delicately, so I'm going to blurt it out, Marinette, and I need you focused like you have never been before," she had heard Tikki say. "You were right all along. Gabriel Agreste _is_ Hawkmoth! I found his Kwami in a hidden room downstairs. There is _much more_ that you need to know, but right now you need to _act!_ His Kwami _knows who you are._ That means that _Hawkmoth will know who you are,_ and that _Ladybug is here."_

"Wh- _WHAT?"_ she had gasped, in complete shock.

"Try to get to Adrien first. Get him _out of this house_ as quickly as you can. If you have to transform in front of Gabriel to do it, it won't blow your identity; he'll _already know_. Nooroo has no choice but to tell him. If Adrien doesn't see you right away, he's been told to get himself upstairs, sneak out of the house, and get to Master Fu's as quickly as he can. So get Adrien away if you can, but at least keep his father busy and away from him. If you can grab Hawkmoth's Miraculous before he transforms, grab _that_ and run, too! But Adrien is a priority here. Don't start a fight if you're not forced to; use your cleverness and evasiveness. We'll call in everyone we can to face him."

Tikki watched her young charge process all of that and prayed that she could hold herself together. _I should tell her that Adrien is Chat Noir right now... just tell her, and damn all the rules and protective spells... but that might send her over the edge at this point. I will work that in when I am capable of it,_ she reasoned.

Realizations hit Marinette like steel girders flying through the air, staggering her as she attempted to respond.

 _Gabriel is HAWKMOTH?_

 _Adrien is in deadly danger!_

 _He... has been all the time that I've known him!_

 _My identity is... Gabriel KNOWS? Or is about to?_

 _He could strike at my parents, my friends, my..._

 _Wow. Somehow I don't think I'll be accepting that internship here._

 _Wait..._

 _ADRIEN is two rooms away from HAWKMOTH._

 _How... would Adrien know where Master Fu is? And who told him, Tikki? But..._

 _ADRIEN IS TWO ROOMS AWAY FROM FREAKING HAWKMOTH._

She came out of the tunnel of mental terror dazed, but with two words on her lips:

"SPOTS ON."

* * *

The horror that consumed Gabriel Agreste was of his own making, but it was no more pleasant for being so.

 _When hell arrives... it comes quickly, and oh, so thoroughly,_ he mused, morosely.

 _Ladybug has found me out, and she's already here. I have nowhere to run. And fighting would be pointless, unless... what?_

 _Unless I _slay_ that young woman to guard my secret? Become the monster that I pretend to be, for real?_

 _Nooroo told me that Ladybug's Kwami has discovered my deepest secret, downstairs... Even without Nooroo saying her name out loud, there is only one person Ladybug could possibly be. My little joke proved far more prophetic than I had meant it to be._

 _I have failed my wife and my son._

 _I have... defenses built into my lair, but nothing that would stop a determined Ladybug for sure. I have outfought her before, and her partner, until numbers overwhelmed me... I asked Nooroo if Chat Noir was here as well, and he did not know but said he had not seen Chat Noir or the other heroes in Emilie's chamber. So, one-on-one or two-on-one, could I...?_

 _...Pointless. I cannot beat the knowledge out of her. And now that they know who I am, the heroes will flock to me like flies to rotting fruit._

 _So what CAN I do?_

 _I have failed my _wife_ and my _son_._

 _No..._

 _No, not YET._

 _I have one last card left unplayed. It is a... longshot of longshots... but it is all that I have left to attempt._

 _Perhaps Gabriel can succeed where Hawkmoth failed._

 _...But what am I to do about my SON? If Ladybug runs in and just blurts out the truth-!_

* * *

Nathalie Sancoeur sat motionless at the dinner table, wondering how she was still conscious. _If_ she was still conscious. If this was somehow not a dream.

She had been sitting in her seat, nibbling at her remaining Roquefort, replaying in her head how Marinette and Adrien had each left abruptly. _I didn't pick the wrong moment to try to apologize to Marinette, did I?_ she had pondered. _I was trying to be as gentle as I could in referring to that. I wonder if-_

And all at once, the world that she thought she knew well had collapsed.

From out of the hallway she had been staring at... a blur of scarlet and black had come dashing out, striking a defensive stance, scanning the dining room. Nathalie had nearly fallen off her chair from pure shock.

 _LADYBUG IS HERE?_

 _HOW?_

 _WHY?_

 _COULD SHE POSSIBLY -_

From behind Nathalie, she had heard Gabriel come dashing into the room at the same moment.

 _"Adrien?!"_ each had gasped, nearly simultaneously.

Ladybug had stared at Gabriel, with clear horror on her face, and he at her identically.

"What have you..." they both had said, trailing off. Ladybug had managed to continue, "...done with him?"

Her yo-yo hung limply by her side.

He showed no signs of transforming, or of wanting to.

"He... went upstairs?" Nathalie had meeped out, helplessly. She wasn't sure which of the two she had directed it towards more.

Nathalie stared at the silent standoff, not sure if her words had registered at all with either of them. Her body was incapable of thought, motion or action, and in that she and Ladybug and Gabriel seemed evenly matched.

Nothing could ever be the same again.

* * *

Adrien Agreste stood in his bedroom, attempting to gather his wits. The process wasn't going well, as every time Plagg opened his mouth, those wits scattered further away.

"You _aren't_ going to tell me what's going on here," Adrien repeated, in disbelief. "Why won't you?"

"I _am_ ," fretted Plagg. "Do you trust me? _Completely_ trust me?"

"I do! But that's not the issue," retorted Adrien. "If you're not telling me what's going on, and _Ladybug_ isn't telling me what's going on... she was right there next to me, Plagg! What am I supposed to think?"

"You _don't have time_ to think right now," Plagg gasped, trying to pull Adrien's attention to his prepared suitcase. "We have a situation. Ladybug doesn't know the details; Tikki is filling her in right now. Tikki has a plan to deal with it, and part of that plan is _getting you out of this house_. It is complicated. It is _dangerous._ You are not abandoning Ladybug; you are doing what she will _need you to have done._ I will fill you in as soon as I can. Got it?"

"So Adrien being Adrien out there somewhere... is more useful than Chat Noir by her side. That's what you're saying?" rationalized Adrien. "And you've packed me a _suitcase?_ That doesn't tell me 'oh, step out for a few minutes while we execute our plan.'"

"I would not be doing any of this if it was not _absolutely necessary_. Trust me on that. If you have ever trusted me, trust me now. Transform, grab that, and let's get to somewhere high and hidden. _Then_ I'll fill you in on what I know. But we need to move fast, Adrien!"

He watched Adrien's face, desperately hoping for a sign of understanding... and, finally, it came.

"You and I are _going to talk_ about this. _Soon._ You can count on that," glared Adrien.

"Fine, fine, _fine_. Act now, talk later."

"Plagg... claws out."

* * *

"So, it's _true,"_ Ladybug snarled, angrily. "You fooled me once, Hawkmoth! You won't do it _again!"_

"It is true," Gabriel admitted, in a quiet voice. "Your Kwami has discovered many things tonight... as has my own. All cards are on the table now."

Nathalie stared at Ladybug, expecting her to lash out, expecting Gabriel to transform, expecting running, screaming, a last, desperate battle...

Ladybug remained very still. Nathalie saw a tear running down the right side of her mask, which was quickly joined by others.

"...Why?" Ladybug asked, in a tortured voice.

When no immediate answer came, she shouted, much louder, consumed by fury, " _WHY?_ Why would you do what you have done, _HAWKMOTH?_ " She spat the word out as if it were poisonous. "You have... everything in the world that you could ever want at your fingertips. _HOW IS THAT NOT ENOUGH?"_

Gabriel's voice was quiet, but his gaze remained steady. "Because of the one thing that I lack, lost by my own actions, and without which my life and Adrien's are not complete."

Now the yo-yo was spinning, faster and faster. "Stop," Gabriel ordered, raising a hand. "There will be no fight here today, Ladybug."

"The _hell_ you say," she snarled, through gritted teeth. "Come at me, if you think you can take me. _COME ON!_ Before you know it, all the other heroes will be here, and there's no way that you can fight us _all-"_

"You would not be fighting Hawkmoth." Ladybug's eyes widened as Gabriel turned to Nathalie and ordered, "You are dismissed, Nathalie. Do take cover; if this young woman decides to tear my head off, I would not wish for you to bear the sight. And you are _not_ to use... you know what... under _any circumstances_. That is absolutely _forbidden_. Is that understood?"

Nathalie stared back, then at Ladybug, then back at Gabriel. "You're... you're sure?"

"I am. Nooroo, come out, please."

Both women looked on with surprise as a tiny figure with purple wings fluttered out of Gabriel's pocket, hovering by his right side.

"Nooroo? This is an order. Unless... Ladybug, please specify a word. Any common word. Something that you would not say in ordinary conversation," Gabriel said, calmly.

Ladybug gaped back. _WHAT?_ she thought. "I, um, I don't know... uh... coconut," she managed.

"Thank you. Nooroo... unless this young woman says the word 'coconut' directly to you, in either of her forms, you are to _ignore_ any transformation requests from me for the next half hour. No transformation, no Akumas, no powers for me, no matter how much that I may beg and plead. Is that _quite_ clear?"

"It... is?" Nooroo replied, looking very confused. "Consider it done."

"This is... you're not going to fool _me_ with your... _lack of trickery_?" Ladybug spat out, with a touch of hesitation behind it. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Removing any reason for violent action, I hope. The life to which I have become accustomed, Marinette Dupain-Cheng... has just ended. Not in a blaze of glory, but in a meeting of spirits and a handful of words. And so, I fear, has your own."

* * *

The yo-yo stopped whirling.

Nathalie remained seated, stunned into an utter inability to move. Nooroo ducked for cover.

 _"Start talking,"_ Ladybug demanded, in a slightly calmer voice. "Dinner was very nice; thank the chefs for me. But if you think that there's _any way_ that I'm just going to forget what you've done, or look the other way..."

"I do not. I have every intention of surrendering to you when our business is complete. What that business turns out to be will depend on you, Marinette." He took another step forward into the room. Ladybug flinched at the sound of her name, then at his approach, but did not otherwise respond.

"Where... is _Adrien?"_ Ladybug repeated. "What have you _done_ with him?"

"As my assistant told you, I have done nothing. Nathalie, you said that he ran upstairs?"

Nathalie stammered, "Y-yes. He did that all on his own, right before Marin... Lady... Marinette ran out. I don't know why."

"Good. He is perfectly safe, Ladybug. He is the last person whom I would wish to hurt," Gabriel replied.

" _Bull!"_ shouted Ladybug, her yo-yo blurring into motion again. "You _have_ hurt him. You've mistreated him. You've _tormented him_. You've sent Akumas after him, _twice!"_

"And after many of his friends, and their family members, and others whom he cares about. And after _you,_ as I recall. But I see that Adrien's well-being is foremost in your mind... not revenge for yourself or for them."

He moved to his chair at the table, and took a seat. "Please... sit down," he addressed Ladybug, cautiously. "I have a question for you, before I explain myself, and much weighs upon your answer."

As if hypnotized, Ladybug walked to the chair opposite Gabriel and sat down, hardly believing that she was doing it. _Why am I not PUNCHING him right now?_ she wondered. _It feels... so strange to look at this man, this... SNAKE and know exactly what he is. That the man who admired my dress work and said all those nice things tonight is the worst human being in the world._

 _I should be grabbing for his Miraculous _right now_... but I can't do it quickly, I don't see it visible. He would have a chance to respond while I wrestled with him, and make a grab for my earrings... Or Nathalie could grab me... it'd be dangerous. I'll bide my time - apparently, I have half an hour - but I'm watching for an opening._

"Marinette... may I call you Marinette now? I do believe we have reached a certain... familiarity with each other now. Remain transformed, if it will make you feel more comfortable," ventured Gabriel.

"Um... yes, I think I will," she replied, ready to leap up at his slightest quick movement. Hearing her undisguised name spoken aloud again - by _Hawkmoth,_ no less - had every nerve in her body howling. "Now, _talk_ if you're going to! One false move and you'll be on the floor, powers or no powers. I will _not_ be holding back."

* * *

"This is... this is terribly surreal, is it not?" Gabriel began, perhaps still not fully believing the situation himself. "Truly not how I expected this evening to go. But it seems that wherever you may go, Marinette, the unexpected follows."

"More talk, less flattery," grumbled Ladybug. "What is it that you think will make any difference to me?"

"What you call flattery is sincere," said Gabriel. "Even before a certain secret... fell into my lap tonight, you impressed me, Marinette. I put several tests in your path this evening, and you passed each with flying colors. I suspected that you might be a starstruck fangirl, for instance, or a social climber, using Adrien to get to me and to potential career possibilities. But you strike me as being rather disinterested in Adrien's wealth, his image _and_ his father's status. Refreshing, that."

"None of those things are what brought me here tonight," Ladybug replied. "That much is very true. Have I ever _imagined_ a career with a company like Agreste? Of course I have... But that has _nothing_ to do with Adrien."

"And so I have witnessed." Gabriel brought his hands together in a contemplative stance. "Everything that I have seen between the two of you, and that Nathalie has seen has appeared most genuine. Which makes you either an astoundingly caring and compassionate young woman, or a most accomplished actress, worthy of my praise but for very different reasons."

Ladybug remained silent and somewhat shocked as he continued. "Yes, I have treated Adrien in terrible ways, even before I took it upon myself to... break his will. It was my intent, for reasons that I may share with you, but _never_ my desire. Every action I have taken as Hawkmoth weighs heavily upon me; that which I have done to _him,_ tenfold over."

"I don't believe you," snapped Ladybug. "I can't believe that you have an ounce of feelings or mercy inside you."

Gabriel allowed her to vent her fury, knowing how much of it was deserved, before responding. "I have laid myself bare before your mercy, Ladybug, my powers sealed away. If you wish to seize my Miraculous and take me in right now, I cannot stop you in any way. I am prepared to share with you the reason for all of this insanity... and I do not expect either clemency or forgiveness from you. I _want_ you to know, because you need to understand something that is quite important to both of us. But I need one final doubt to be removed from my mind first."

"My one remaining question for you is this... Marinette, you suspected me once of being Hawkmoth; a suspicion that has now been proven correct. You are a shining star in my son's life; a _blind_ man could see how good you've been for him. But please answer me this, not as anything to do with heroics and villainy... but as a simple question from a father about his son."

He stared into her eyes intensely, and even with the power of Ladybug supporting her, Marinette felt shaken. "Are you _sincere_ about my son, Marinette? Are your feelings about him, your need to comfort and cherish him real? Or is this all... _infiltration,_ a cunning plan to confirm what you once suspected and uncover the master villain? I know what I suspect... but I need to hear it straight from your lips."

* * *

Ladybug's pulse pounded in her ears... but she did not hesitate in what she replied, or even consider that she might be capable of it.

"I... I have been sincere about your son from the second day I knew him, Mr. Agreste," she told him. "One simple act of kindness of his. He opened up to someone who didn't trust him and who thought that he'd wronged her. He put himself in discomfort for my benefit, and he didn't even stop to think about it; it came naturally to him. He never hesitated, and I saw Adrien with different eyes in that moment. He's had my heart ever since, a little bit more every day."

She winced at that coming out of her mouth; _you IDIOT, you're giving HAWKMOTH a road map to manipulate you!_ something screamed inside her head... but, somehow, it also seemed strangely right to say.

"You had no further suspicions about me this evening," prompted Gabriel. "This was all about you and Adrien, and meeting his family. What passes for his family these days, at least."

"If I had those suspicions, do you think that I would've shown up here in a pretty dress, enjoying your hospitality, telling you things about my true self?" Ladybug replied, with a slight edge. "If I _had_ known, Adrien would be far away from here, someplace safe, and you would have never known what hit you. You would've woken up in a jail cell, _w_ _ithout_ your Miraculous."

"You suspected me once, I know that," Gabriel insisted. "When you returned that... special book to me. We did not trust each other then. If I had only known! And even that day, you seemed worried less about a priceless artifact and more about Adrien's returning to school, so that he could be close to you."

"So that he could be where he _wanted_ to be. Where he _needed_ to be. Learning, and not just his schoolwork. Learning to live the way that he wants to live. Experiencing what he feels he's been missing," replied Ladybug, gently. "To feel like someone _real."_

"Just so. I believe you, Marinette. I truly do," smiled Gabriel, his eyes lowering. "This, of course, does not bind you to marry him, or anything like that. If your relationship continues to blossom, you have my blessing. If it does not... I feel secure that wherever I may end up, my son will not be wholly alone in the world. That he will be watched over by a truly caring soul."

"Mr. Agreste... we're getting away from the point. None of this has been about finding Adrien a girlfriend or a... w-wife," Ladybug insisted, feeling like she was drowning in something that she didn't quite understand. "You have put millions of lives in danger as Hawkmoth! You have tried to _kill me_ and my partner many times. You have-"

"Have I?" interrupted Gabriel. "I concede that my means have been... extreme at times. But I have stopped far short of the lethality that the Moth is capable of bestowing. My villains do not carry guns and knives and nuclear energy, typically; their weapons are mostly trickery, illusion and pigeon dung. Even those with the sharpest of teeth have held back from using them wantonly, or on innocents."

Ladybug stared at him as he continued. "I am not interested in conquering the world or destroying all my enemies by fire; from the start, my goal has been taking your Miraculous, and that of your partner. Together, they are a means to a very specific end, one that would change Adrien's life for the better."

After that statement, Gabriel appeared thoughtful and a bit pensive. "I will ask one more question, something that has burned in my mind for months. Is... _is_ my son your partner? Is he Chat Noir?"

* * *

"Even if I knew, I don't know that I would tell you, Mr. Agreste. You're not exactly on the list of people who should know that," parried Ladybug, cautiously. "But I will disclose this much... I _don't know_ if he is or not. He and I have kept our identities private for exactly this reason; should one of us be compromised, like... well, like this, we cannot give up the other's secrets."

She sat there, silently contemplating what she had just said to him.

 __Could_ Adrien be Chat Noir? It seems so... actually... it _does_ make a kind of sense... Marinette, this is NOT THE TIME for_ that, she ordered herself. _You have a much bigger concern right now._

Gabriel noted her mental gears whirling, and nodded. "Yes... _compromised_ is a word that seems barely adequate, is it not? My life lies in your hands now, and yours in _mine."_ He felt a tiny degree of satisfaction from the alarmed face that she attempted to suppress, and continued with a sharper tone. "And not just _your_ life. If I were to escape and resume my terrible task at hand, imagine whom I could target to obtain your cooperation, or your Miraculous! Your mother and father. Your other relatives, at least two of whom I have Akumatized already. Your home. Your school. Your friends, your loved ones..."

Her face flashed between terror and fury and anguish at his words.

"...and I give you my word, for what it's worth to you, that I have no immediate plans to do _any_ of that. I have done far enough of that already, as it turns out," said Gabriel. "Merely a reminder for you that I am without my powers right now, but I remain _far_ from helpless. I am cooperating with you right now because I choose to do so."

"And why _is_ that?" asked Ladybug, visibly shaken by all of that. "I mean, yes, I've caught you with your pants down, so to speak. But I... do hear what you're saying right now." She shook her head, trying to gather her thoughts. "I can't believe that I'm even _talking to you_ now."

"It is because we both want the same thing... what is best for Adrien. This time, our interests must coincide... and I am in desperate need of your help. My only path to protecting my son runs through your heart."

With Ladybug's head spinning, wondering what he meant by that, Gabriel turned. "Nathalie, would you check upstairs and see if Adrien is in his room? If he is, I would have you tell him to remain there for the moment."

"U-understood," she replied, whether she actually did or not. Ladybug watched as Nathalie rose to her feet and, unsteadily, dashed towards the staircase.

Ladybug thought for a moment. "Nooroo, could you come out again, please?" she asked.

With a tiny whisper of wings, Nooroo reappeared from under the table. He looked up at Gabriel, who nodded, "You may speak with her freely."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Ladybug," he said, hesitantly. "I wish that it was under better circumstances."

"Likewise," said Ladybug, with a small smile. "You are _really_ under no orders right now? You can be completely honest with me?"

Nooroo closed his eyes for a moment and concentrated. "Remarkably... I do not seem to be. At least for the moment," he confirmed. "For the first time in over a year."

"I know from Tikki that you're not a willing participant in any of this. You are Hawkmoth's prisoner, to put it bluntly," Ladybug noted. "Which I plan to end very soon. But in the meantime, you know his motivations better than anyone else right now. Is... is _he_ being honest with me? He wants to help Adrien with what he's got in mind, and this isn't some crazy master plan to destroy us and conquer France?"

"Adrien has been his primary motivation, yes. I do believe that he is sincere right now," said Nooroo, quietly, sneaking a glance up at Gabriel. "Though I don't know who will vouch for _my_ authenticity."

"Perhaps I'll have to have just a little bit of faith," replied Ladybug. "All right, Hawk... Mr. Agreste. I don't trust you in the slightest... but for now, I'm still listening."

A clatter of footsteps drew their attention. Nathalie came around the corner, panting from exertion. "He's... not there," she gasped. "I can't find him anywhere upstairs. I don't know where else he could be."

"That will do, Nathalie. Thank you." He turned to Ladybug with a weary smile. "My son is something of an escape artist, among his many talents, and now I can rule out Ladybug's assistance in that. For today's escape, anyway. You are positive that you know nothing of his methods of exit and entry?"

She looked startled... a bit thoughtful... but answered, "I'm positive."

 _Wait. That window in his bedroom is _way__ _too high for Adrien to scale the wall. I've never seen, like, a big ladder near there. He can't _fly_. How _is_ he getting in and out?_

 _Is it... is it _possible?__

"In that case, I think we should proceed. There is something that I wish to show you; in fact, I must insist. Follow me, please," Gabriel said, rising to his feet.

Ladybug followed him in the direction of his atelier, but kept a couple of steps between the two of them, warily. Nooroo floated between them, looking back and forth as he traveled.

"Ladybug... yes, I am a grown man and you are a slim teenage girl, but with the power of your Miraculous strengthening you... rest assured that I am not about to wrestle you to the ground and attempt to seize your earrings," he reassured her. "Treachery is no longer one of my weapons. In fact, I have but one weapon left in my arsenal, and it is one that I intend to share with you now..."

He motioned her to stand beside him, which she did with obvious reluctance. As he pressed buttons hidden in his wife's ornate portrait, he completed his sentence, with Ladybug jumping with surprise as the platform under her feet began to descend:

"...The truth."

* * *

Next time:

* "You never thought to try things out... you know, the _other_ way?"

* "I don't know that even a _Kwami_ can decide that."

* Snap decisions can carry considerable weight.

* "You will need to find a way to live with yourself."

* Many trains of thought lead to but one station.

* Unraveling is not a pleasant thing to watch.

* "The decisions - and all of our fates - lie in your hands."


	20. The Willing Victim and the Tender Trap

Someone To Watch Over Me, Chapter 20: The Willing Victim and the Tender Trap

* * *

 _I should not be here._

A masked young woman stood in a dimly lit cylinder, a moving platform carrying her downwards, as she watched the man accompanying her like a hawk. Or like a Hawkmoth, as that was whom he had just revealed himself to be.

 _Please, please, please let Adrien have gotten to safety!_ _I haven't heard any strange noises from above, so I hope that means that nothing weird has happened..._

Gabriel Agreste gave her a sad smile, watching her obvious discomfort and wariness. "I assure you, Marinette, that you have nothing to fear from me right now," he repeated. "I understand why you feel rather edgy..."

"Edgy doesn't do this justice," Ladybug snapped back. "I'm questioning my own _sanity_ right now. If this drops us off at some kind of trap, you won't have time to regret it before your lights go out."

Nooroo floated next to Gabriel, looking very concerned at the turn of events. "That is not where this is headed, Ladybug. The entrance to the Master's lair is just ahead, but we are going further down."

She shook her head, and a mild laugh slipped out, despite her worries. "This is so... Mr. Agreste, how do you have a _lair_ underneath your house? And a secret elevator? And whatever else it is you're taking me to see? How do you even, I don't know, get _building permits_ for that kind of thing?"

Gabriel smiled wryly, the absurdity of the situation not lost on him. "Let us just say that things were... repurposed. My lair, as Nooroo referred to it, was originally to be a chamber for meditation; an isolated place where I could go to escape the troubled world for a while. A less testosterone-ridden man-cave, if you will. The second chamber, which we should arrive at in a minute, was to have a rather different atmosphere than the first. Constructing them cost a fortune, and yet when things happened as they did, I was thankful to have both available."

Ladybug stared back, not convinced. "And this hidden elevator? Secret control buttons? This is all spy-movie stuff."

"Well... when you have more money than you know what to do with, you have to have a _little_ fun with it, hmmm?"

He enjoyed the look of incredulity that got from Ladybug, but his humor faded quickly. "But enough of that. I need to prepare you for what it is you are about to see. This is not fun and games; this is a matter of deepest concern," he said. "Tell me, please... what has Adrien told you about his mother?"

Ladybug hesitated briefly, but reasoned that none of this should be unknown to Gabriel already. "He told me that the two of you went on a trip to Tibet, for reasons that he didn't fully understand. You came back... but she didn't. Nothing has been the same around here since, and he misses her terribly. He took me over to show me her portrait before dinner; he said that he visits her there every day, when he can. And he's..."

Her voice trailed off. Gabriel waited a moment, then asked, "What is it that you find hard to say?"

"He's _very_ confused about one thing, and so am I... why it is that you've never told him exactly what _happened_ to her! Whether she is alive or dead or that you just don't know!" Ladybug stared up at him, anguish in her eyes. "It has to be _agony_ for him, never getting any closure. I couldn't believe my ears when he told me that!"

The elevator platform came to a stop in front of a door. Gabriel turned and entered a code on the keypad next to it, and the door slid open with a slight whooshing sound.

"That answer, my dear, lies in this chamber. After you, please," he stated.

Ladybug stepped forward, gingerly, making sure that he and Nooroo were following her in. She saw... _well, it looks more like a big cathedral than anything else,_ she thought. _A place of worship of some kind?_

"Walk with me, slowly," Gabriel directed her. "I need to tell you the story of Adrien's mother... before you meet her."

 _"M-meet her?"_

* * *

 _I should not be here._

A young man landed on a rooftop, a short distance from his home, dressed in a black leather costume. He had a suitcase in one hand, a baton in the other, and an extremely unsettled look on his face.

"Claws in," he said, and the costume reverted to his dinner clothes. He stared intently at the tiny black cat that poofed into existence by his side.

"Plagg... is this far enough?" Adrien asked, gesturing towards his home, faintly visible in the distance.

"It'll do for now," fretted Plagg, dreading what he knew was coming.

"Okay, fine, then," demanded Adrien. "What's the next step in the plan? What's in this suitcase?"

"What do you think is in it? Clothes, shoes, underwear, your wallet," Plagg said. "I even threw in a lavender sachet, to keep things smelling fresh - HEY!"

A hand grabbed him out of mid-air and pulled him in front of Adrien's furious face. "I am _not playing around,_ Plagg. You just had me run out on my lady during an emergency; _I_ _do not_ _leave her behind._ And you're acting as if I'm... going on vacation, or something? _What_ is in my house? What is Ladybug facing, and why can't I help?"

"This _is_ serious, Adrien; you're right. And I'm going to need you to get us to Master Fu's; _that_ is why we had to escape right away. Once he knows what's going on, I think you'll be delivering little black boxes all over town."

"Is she _trapped_ there? Is she in danger? From _what?"_ asked Adrien, frantically.

"I don't know how much danger she's in. Maybe not much, actually. She should be capable of escaping, as fast as she moves, once she knows that you got out safely as well." Plagg shifted in Adrien's tight grip and continued, reluctantly. "She's a tough cookie, she can handle herself."

"Against _what?_ What could be so dangerous that you'd have _me_ call in the reserves, but that Ladybug can face one-on-one in the meantime?" Adrien persisted. "And why is it so important for _me_ to get away instead of her?"

 _Please, please, please let her be safe,_ he pleaded in his head, _whatever's going on here._

The tiny cat sighed loudly. "Adrien... sit down," he ordered, and after a moment, his young host did. "There is something you need to know, and there's no easy way for me to tell you this."

Green eyes went wide... and wider still when Plagg finally admitted, "Ladybug was right all along... your father is Hawkmoth, Adrien. I'm sorry."

* * *

Ladybug followed Gabriel to the beginning of the long catwalk leading to... _something,_ where he paused.

"What Adrien has told you is true," Gabriel began. "Emilie and I led a charmed life; all the pleasures of wealth and privilege. I had my growing fashion empire, she her budding acting career, the two of us a wonderful son to raise together. To this day, Adrien reminds me of her so much; he has her sensitivity, her passion for living, her grace and kind nature. I would have done anything in the world to please her, to give her what it was that she needed... and that led me down a path that has brought us here today."

"Idle hands are the devil's workshop, as they say. Emilie had a certain fascination with... the spiritual side of our world, you might call it? Not witchcraft or the occult, but rather the gentler side of such. How to use all that nature has given to humanity to learn, to heal, to grow and attune with what is all around us. It was more of a quiet hobby or an indulgence than a lifestyle for her, but she collected all sorts of rare books and artifacts from around the globe related to these matters."

Gabriel gestured around them. "I had told you that the first room was to be my own sanctuary, a place of meditation for myself? _This_ was to be hers. I joked with her at times that by the time she was finished with it, we'd need to add on another storage room just for crystals and herbs. At any rate... it seemed an innocent enough hobby, and she was endearingly sincere about it. But there came a time when neither science nor wealth could give her what she wanted most, and I wanted so much to help... so I asked to borrow some of her books, and studied them myself, hoping to find some kind of answer."

"What was it that she wanted most?" asked Ladybug.

"The simplest of things, but one that evaded her grasp. Adrien was a... difficult birth. He has been a shining light in our lives, of course, and I am thankful every day for him... but there came a time that Emilie wanted desperately to try again. A daughter, perhaps. And money cannot make doctors tell you what it is that you wish to hear."

 _"Oh."_

Ladybug went very quiet.

"And so I began researching what seemed to me wild and ridiculous rumors of remedies, treatments, rituals... all the things mankind has used over the centuries to attempt to defy reality. What began as herbal woo and folk tales began to hint at stranger roads, shadowy truths hiding behind stories of old. And so I started accumulating my own sources, books rather different from the gentle tomes my wife collected, my own network of shady contacts. When money is no object, there are few limits on what one can acquire! And what I found was a common thread between the two, the light and the dark; a set of ancient jeweled items called the Miraculous, hiding behind the curtains of history, rumored to be as potent as their name suggested."

"A certain book that my wife had acquired, as part of an unlabeled lot of goods from some auction, was the key," noted Gabriel. "I couldn't read it, of course; I doubt that anyone remaining on this planet can. It is in a number of foreign languages, some of which are highly obscure, and I suspect much of it is written in code. But, then, you have seen that book yourself, so you know much of this..."

Ladybug nodded. "Its being in your hands is why I suspected you of being Hawkmoth once before," she confirmed. "It didn't seem like that could be a coincidence."

He sighed. "I cannot say that I believed in 'magic' then, fully... but desperation brings with it a need to believe. And so I redoubled my research, and followed the trail of rumors where it led. And that was to a demolished monastery in Tibet, abandoned for decades, rumored to have housed one or more of them at one time."

"Emilie was as dubious as I was that we would find anything there - how could we?" Gabriel added. "We were sure that it had been picked over by scavengers a hundred times. But, as I said, desperation spawns need, and I passed it off as a second honeymoon of sorts, a fantastic getaway the likes of which we might never share again. And so we went... and we paid a dear price for our curiosity."

* * *

"That _can't_ be true! There's no way... Ladybug suspected him once, but we cleared him! He was _Akumatized!"_ shouted Adrien, incredulously. "There has to be some mistake."

"There's no mistake," sighed Plagg. "Tikki and I went exploring together while you were eating. We found a secret room beneath your house, full of Nooroo's white butterflies... and then we found Nooroo. And there is only one Moth Miraculous."

"This is insane," mumbled Adrien. "Where would _my father_ get a Miraculous from? He couldn't just pick one up on eBay."

"The same place that he got the Guardians' Book of Lore, maybe? You remember that mysterious book we found in his safe, right?" Plagg replied. "I didn't fully recognize it at the time... but Master Fu sure did! It's a one-of-a-kind artifact. And you can't argue that your father didn't have _that_."

That stopped Adrien in his tracks. "Hold it _right there_ ," he gasped. "You... that book wasn't just _about_ the Miraculous, it was _related_ to them, _important_ to them... and you didn't tell me that afterwards?"

"I couldn't," Plagg tried to explain. "We still have no idea how he got it. We'd just cleared him, or so we thought, and we didn't want to make him look bad again without proof. And Marinette got it back to your father so that he'd let you go to school again, but we couldn't tell you _that_ or it might have given away that she was Ladybug."

"Still... holy _crap_ , Plagg. Not even a hint?" Adrien wondered, not looking at all happy. "But... _wait a minute_. If this is true... oh, my _God,_ Plagg..."

"Breathe, Adrien. I understand that this just rocked your world, and I'm so sorry! But before you think too hard about this, we _need_ to get you to Master Fu's as fast as we can," Plagg declared, trying to keep Adrien focused. "The stakes are too high right now."

"I'll say... if Hawkmoth is - _PLAGG!_ You're telling me that Ladybug is _alone_ with _Hawkmoth_ right now?" Adrien shouted.

"You could say that... they were still Marinette and Gabriel when we left. But she knows who he is, and by now, he knows who _she_ is."

Quickly, Plagg described the encounter with Nooroo "in another underground chamber," leaving out a few rather crucial details for the moment. _If I tell him about his mother, he'll run straight back there no matter what else I say. I'm GOING to tell him... but not yet,_ Plagg thought.

Adrien looked as if he'd just been hit by a falling cement mixer. "Does he know that _I'M_ Chat Noir?" he gaped.

"I... don't know for sure. Nooroo knows, but he's trying hard to keep that hidden unless he's asked that directly," admitted Plagg. "He had a compulsion to tell your father _something_ of what he found, and Tikki decided this way would be less damaging-"

" _You_ are telling me..." shouted Adrien, his eyes like dinner plates, "that my father is _Hawkmoth_ and I just _left my girlfriend in that house with him_ , _and you gave up her Ladybug identity to him?"_

"Kind of," mumbled Plagg, uneasily

"Even _she_ can't beat him one-on-one! Plagg, we have to get back there _right now! Claws-"_

 _"STOP!"_ Plagg screamed, cutting him off just in time. "Two-on-one isn't too good, either. That's why we're going to Master Fu's, now that we know who and where Hawkmoth is, and we're going for more like _seventeen-on-one._ Or on two, if Nathalie uses the Peacock."

"Seventeen? Nathalie...? The _Peacock?_ Is there, uh, anything _else_ you've been meaning to tell me?" snapped Adrien, with an even more stunned expression.

"Fu's. _Now,"_ replied Plagg, anxiously. "Do it."

"Plagg... claws out," Adrien recited, transforming back into Chat Noir.

 _Okay, so... NOW what do I do?_ he wondered, frantically.

* * *

"So... you just packed up and flew to _Tibet_? That's not exactly a major tourist destination these days," Ladybug parried. "And you just happened across a monastery in the middle of nowhere? How did you manage that?"

"I passed us off as a couple of amateur archaeologists. Emilie knew the jargon - she had minored in archaeology in her university days - and she helped us make our arrangements sound authentic. It cost a fortune, regardless. We hired some locals to take us to the site; it was not easy to find anyone willing. The monastery had... 'bad spirits' around it, as our translator put it. The team we hired found the site, as decayed and shattered as we had heard it was, and we started a rudimentary excavation of the remains. On the third day, a box was uncovered, containing this..."

He fussed with his shirt and tie, and showed off a simple brooch on his person. "I took it in my hand, and then I met my little friend here," Gabriel said.

"Master... 'friend' isn't quite the word for it," Nooroo said, simply. "Not after how I have been used by you so many times."

Gabriel glanced at Ladybug with a small shrug, as if to suggest, _What are you going to do? You just can't get good help these days._

"By the way, I commend you, Ladybug, for not lunging at this as soon as I revealed it," he noted, gesturing to the brooch.

"Don't think that I'm not tempted," she replied, carefully. "But I want to know more about Adrien's mother first. Finish your story."

Nooroo added, "The Master and I did begin on friendlier terms; I was so happy to be found and freed, I wanted to help him any way that I could. I guided him to where the Peacock had been last seen; he and the Mistress located it, but when we found it... it had been damaged by whatever had demolished the monastery. Some kind of explosion. I warned him that it was never to be used."

He stared hard at Gabriel's questioning gaze, and repeated, "I... _warned_... you _._ You refused to listen."

Gabriel prepared to argue the point... then stopped himself, lowering his eyes. "I will concede that," he replied, softly. "Fifteen minutes before, the world of magic was a fairy tale to me, complete and utter fantasy. And now, a tiny spirit was not only my companion, but had led me to acquire still more of it for Emilie. And my imagination... my avarice... got the better of me."

He looked over at Ladybug, whose face displayed less fury than curiosity at this point. "Tell me, my dear... when this power first fell into your lap, however you may have acquired it... When your Kwami told you that you had enough power in your grasp to _shake the world_. Did a part of you not consider all the things you were now capable of, besides simple crimefighting?"

Ladybug simply stared at him. "I... was terrified by what it meant, the kind of responsibility that it carried with it. I even tried to give it to someone else after my first outing ended in failure," she admitted. "You came this close to never having to deal with me again."

"Seriously? That doesn't seem like the girl whom I am speaking with now," marveled Gabriel. "What changed your mind?"

"People I knew, and far more people I didn't, were in serious danger from Stoneheart. I had the power to do something about that, even if I didn't want it. I couldn't have lived with myself if I'd let them get hurt," explained Ladybug. "I didn't ask for the powers, but once I had them, it would've been wrong to stand back and allow terrible things to happen."

Gabriel studied her for a moment. "You are indeed a remarkable young woman," he noted. "Emilie would have adored you. You have her spirit, her core of inner strength."

"I, on the other hand... I let my arrogance and greed consume me. We had come this far, we had found these unexpected treasures... functioning magic, in the palms of our hands, in defiance of all earthly logic... should we not try to use them? Become a modern Aladdin and his princess bride? I told Emilie that I could not translate her book, but it seemed straightforward enough even without the text; the pictures were clear enough to guide our expectations. She was not as sure as I was, but I persuaded her to try."

He gestured to Ladybug to accompany him down the long aisle leading to the far end of the room, and to a golden capsule dimly lit by overhead fixtures. "Come, please," he said. "Come and view what my insistence earned her."

 _Said the Spider to the Fly_ , thought Ladybug. "One moment, please," she told him.

Ladybug pulled out her communicator, trying not to make it seem like an escalation. In a quiet voice, she sent a message:

"Chat Noir... we have a situation at the Agreste mansion. I am not in immediate danger... I think, but things are very delicate. Plagg knows why. Whatever you are doing now... especially if you're doing what I _think_ you're doing _..._ continue that, but hold your position. If I need you here, I'll let you know."

She looked back at Gabriel and noted, "A girl can't be too careful these days," then walked with him. A creeping horror within her built up with every step.

* * *

Chat Noir sat on the rooftop, his mind running at a million kilometers per hour, still nowhere near fast enough for his decision-making process to prod him into action.

 _Ladybug could be in huge trouble..._

 _Could be? If this is all true, she's in HAWKMOTH'S DINING ROOM! And I know that Plagg wasn't lying to me. He looked heartbroken just saying it out loud._

 _He could be wiping the floor with her right now! I need to get back there THIS INSTANT..._

 _...except that Plagg is _right!_ If I go there alone and we lose, and we might, we lose _everything_. If she's already defeated, I'd have to face him one-on-one, and... I don't know what I could do alone._

 _But she's my _partner_... and she's so much MORE than that! By the time I get the other Miraculous, deliver them and we all get to my house, it could be far too late... and that would be MY FAULT, and I'd never forgive myself..._

 _Wait. Plagg said that she knows not to try and fight him alone; she can cut and run. No one's as agile as her. She can get away and then we can..._

 _...What _can_ we do?_

 _Once we catch him and we take his Miraculous... what _do_ we do with him?_

His dilemma was interrupted by an incoming message.

" **Chat Noir... we have a situation at the Agreste mansion. I am not in immediate danger...** "

* * *

Slowly, Ladybug approached... what was more and more clear with every step to be a _person,_ lying motionless in an enclosed chamber with a glass front panel.

"What... why is this here? Why are you _showing_ me this?" gasped Ladybug, with a catch clearly audible in her voice.

She stepped up to the glass, peering through it, despite every instinct she had telling her to _run_. "That's... Adrien's mother, isn't it? That's Emilie?" she asked, to which Gabriel nodded, grimly.

A long moment passed. Ladybug felt completely unable to think or move. Had Gabriel felt it appropriate, he could've stepped forward, seized her earrings and carried her off a dozen times over.

"Is she..." breathed Ladybug, finally.

"She is alive... but barely. I would encourage you to allow your Kwami to examine her; from what Nooroo has told me, she already has, briefly," Gabriel noted. "I will step back over here and allow you to do as you must; you have, going by my watch, thirteen minutes of reasonable trust remaining."

 _It's not like he doesn't know already,_ Ladybug thought. "Spots off," she mumbled, and in a white flash she was Marinette once more.

Tikki popped into existence and floated by Marinette's ear. "I am _so sorry_ that you're going through this, Marinette," she whispered, a pained look on her tiny face.

"You... didn't prepare me for _all_ of this," replied Marinette, holding tears back through force of will. "But let's do what we have to."

Tikki nodded, then turned to face Gabriel. "I can enter the chamber, and it won't disrupt any of the machinery, or her health?" she called to him, who, true to his word, was not moving from where he stood. "I didn't go inside... earlier... because I wasn't sure."

"You should be fine. There is nothing to fear from this, and your unbiased opinion is vital here," Gabriel replied.

With a deep breath, Tikki floated to the capsule and phased inside. Marinette watched a tiny red blur flitting about within, examining every possible angle, even phasing inside Emilie's chest at one point.

After a minute or two, Tikki reemerged, looking rather disturbed. "She is alive, I'll vouch for that," she told Marinette. "Her vitals are slow, but they're there. I can even sense brain activity, but not full consciousness. As if she's dreaming."

"That matches what the sensors within the chamber have told me," agreed Gabriel. "The longer a medical coma lasts, the less likely it is that a person will ever emerge from it, or that they will still be any part of the person they were before. But what happened to Emilie was... well, this is more of a _magical_ coma. As if she has been preserved, like a fly in invisible amber. Alive, and yet not alive. Dreaming her days away in stasis, waiting for something that can bring her back to us."

"Why is she not in a _hospital,_ or something like that?" demanded Ladybug, emotions rolling in her voice. "You could afford the best medical care in the world for her!"

"And what would medical science do for something like this? Something that they cannot possibly understand, let alone diagnose?" parried Gabriel. "I paid three specialists handsomely to examine her here, and they all reached the same conclusion; no wonder drug or surgery will relieve what ails her. They couldn't understand it at all. And I will _not_ have her poked and prodded and opened up like a practice dummy by doctors who cannot help her."

"He's... not wrong," Tikki murmured, morosely. "This isn't something that a doctor can fix. I don't know if anything can."

"I think that you do, Tikki," said Gabriel, in a louder tone. "One thing can. And that has been the motivation for every subsequent moment of my life, once I discovered the truth; the Ladybug and the Cat Miraculous, with their powers combined, can rewrite time and space, and correct any wrong. That absolute power could bring my Emilie back."

* * *

Chat was on the move... but his legs were far more focused on his journey than his mind.

 _I am going to reach Master Fu... and Plagg is going to tell him everything... and we are going to hand out every Miraculous he's got - did Plagg say SEVENTEEN? Holy cats, that's a lot - and we are going to gang up on Hawkmoth SO HARD..._

 _And..._

 _And._

 _And that's my _father_ we'll be beating up._

In his distraction, he miscalculated his leap and very nearly overshot the next rooftop. Skidding to a stop, he paused to gather what few sparks of reason he had left.

 _My father._

 _My father has been a _superterrorist._ He has sent villain after villain to lure me and Ladybug into battle... they've nearly killed me as Chat Noir a few times... they kind of _did_ once._

 _My father tried to Akumatize me. ME. Not as Chat Noir... but as his own son. TWICE!_

 _This makes NO SENSE. Why... why would he do that? What possible reason could he have?_

 _We had our rough patches not long ago. But I couldn't have failed him _that_ badly... could I?_

 _What would he have done with me if Ladybug hadn't been there?_

 _Does he have any idea that I'm Chat Noir?_

 _If he knows that Marinette is Ladybug, and if Nooroo knows, how can he not?_

Terrible thoughts of Hawkmoth cornering Ladybug - _his_ sweet Maribug! _-_ haunted his mind's eye momentarily... and then a new horror took over.

 _Oh, MAN._

 _Plagg has me carrying a suitcase because... either we drag my own _father_ to _jail_ tonight, or... I can't go home, can I?_

 _That just sank in._

 _I can't... go HOME._

 _I can't..._

 _...what AM I going to do?_

* * *

"You... you have the power of the Moth, Gabriel. There is nothing that you can do yourself? You can't, let's say, Akuma up a healer?" asked Ladybug, tentatively. "Or use the Moth for _good,_ instead of the ways that you have? You never thought to try things out... you know, the _other_ way?"

"It is interesting that you thought of that first," smiled Gabriel, "but I will discuss that in good time. As it happens... my using the Moth either kept Emilie alive or made things worse. I am not entirely sure which."

"Come again?" wondered Ladybug.

"The Peacock Miraculous was damaged, as Nooroo had warned us. When Emilie tried to use it, it nearly absorbed her life force on the spot. Seeing her distress, I tried to use a butterfly to... power her up and support her, I suppose you could call it. Panicking and throwing anything I could at her! I think that it helped, but I was fumbling around with forces far beyond my knowledge," sighed Gabriel. "I do not hold out much hope that the Moth by itself has the power to reverse her state entirely."

"Which doesn't explain why you've been terrorizing Paris ever since," Ladybug frowned. "How does _that_ help Emilie?"

"My research... such as it was, dabbling in rumors and riddles and untranslatable tomes... indicated that the Moth was powerful, but a toy compared to what the Ladybug and Cat could do together," he explained. "But neither of them had been seen in decades. I needed to draw their possessors out of hiding. What makes heroes appear more reliably than villains that only heroes can stand against?"

"So all of this that you've put Paris through... the destruction, the terror, the injuries, the lives nearly lost... this was just a _smokescreen?_ Just a ploy to locate and take my Miraculous and Chat's?" Ladybug growled, feeling a bit more assertive.

"Have I ever claimed otherwise?" declared Gabriel, cutting Ladybug off in mid-rant. "That is what I have demanded from you from the very beginning."

"Think on it, Marinette. Have you ever seen my Akumas go out and rob banks, knock over armored cars, loot diamond exchanges, or commit other crimes for personal gain? Have they assassinated politicians, blown up buildings or mugged little old ladies in alleyways?" Gabriel argued. "Some of them _have_ been more dangerous than others, and have put innocent Parisians at risk; I will not deny that point, and I will bear that karma cost to the end of my days. But knowing that there is a red-and-black reset button, should events go too far, is comforting even to me."

Her glare softened slightly as she thought it out, but only slightly. He continued, "Again, I reiterate; I am not asking for _absolution._ I have crossed far too many lines in my quest. And have I ever thought about what _else_ I could do, that I might set right in the world with the Moth's gift, _or_ with your combined power? I will not deny that, either. But my goal from day one has been consistent... to bring Emilie back from this."

"You _are_ aware, of course, of the _cost_ of that wish?" countered Tikki, her tiny arms crossed. "That the balance would require that someone else take her place in eternal slumber? This is not something that you could experiment with until you get it right."

"I am aware," sniffed Gabriel. "And if that person is to be me... I am prepared for that. One way or another, my days in Adrien's life are numbered. I would ensure that his mother is there to take my place with him."

"You can't _choose_ where the backlash would go, though," Marinette interjected, warily. "It could be you, it could be Nathalie, it could be _Adrien_. It could be someone halfway around the world whose life you'd steal."

"And what if I _could_ choose that?" retorted Gabriel, with a look that sent a chill through her.

* * *

In his bedroom, Wang Fu sat quietly, debating how best to spend his evening.

 _I could meditate once more,_ he reasoned. _The last session seemed most productive._

 _One more check on the herbal rub for Mrs. Atkinson's session tomorrow, perhaps. It should be almost ready, but I might need to adjust its balance slightly; a bit more ginseng?_

 _I have been putting off trying to translate more of the Book of Lore for too long. Just because my aging brain has barely scratched its surface does not mean that a breakthrough might not be just around the bend._

 _Or... hmmmm._ _There's a Walking Dead marathon on tonight..._

His tranquility was broken by a tiny green figure whizzing into the room, stopping about a foot away from his face. "Wayzz, what is it?" he asked, sensing the Kwami's alarm.

"Master, we have company! To the front door, now!" Wayzz panted.

Fu approached his front door as quickly as his ancient legs would allow him to move. As he reached it, he saw Plagg floating next to it, visibly shaken.

"Oh, dear," Fu groaned. "Things have taken a turn?"

"Straight into the _ground!_ Help him, _please._ We found Hawkmoth! Tikki and I are exposed! Marinette may be trapped, and Adrien is..." Plagg gestured to the door, helplessly.

The old man threw the door open... and found Adrien huddled in a ball on his front step, shuddering silently. However rough he had appeared the day before after his midnight revelation, a simple glance told Fu that _this_ Adrien was a broken shell of that one.

* * *

Even Tikki was frozen into silence. "...Go on," she insisted.

"Nooroo has been assisting me... somewhat against his will... in examining the book of Miraculous lore. He, of course, cannot translate it any better than I can... but he has helped me interpret certain imagery, and explained to me more details of how his own powers work. And I believe that I have formulated a plan that would minimize the risk."

Gabriel sat down, taking a long breath to ready himself. "The first piece of my puzzle is that I have become far more attuned to the Moth Miraculous, in terms of whom my target will be and what powers they will gain. You do remember Heroes' Day, Marinette?"

"All too well," she growled back.

"That was my first full experiment with that technique. A willing recipient, focused on a particular goal, a single idea shared by both of us. Nathalie cooperated with me fully, Catalyst was the result, and as you witnessed, our harnessed power was far greater than anything you had ever faced before," said Gabriel. "The amplification is greater still when the recipient has strong emotions about the goal they would accomplish. Familial bonds in particular may be the strongest."

Nooroo tried to look away, feeling Tikki and Marinette staring at him. "I had no choice in this. You know that," he whimpered.

"And as you have also noticed... the dark side of this magic carries with it more raw power than the light. Hence how your Rena Rouge can cast but one illusion, but Volpina could use her similar powers repeatedly, with ease," Gabriel continued. "I will need every erg of magical energy possible for the greatest chance of success. Failure is... unthinkable."

Gabriel watched as Marinette's face tensed up, and tears began to form in her eyes. "Ah, you sense to where this logic had led me," he said, quietly. "The one recipient of an Akuma so emotionally charged towards Emilie as to stand a chance of success... was Adrien. It could _only_ be Adrien. And Akumatizing him is no easy task, so I had to... take drastic measures."

"You son of a _bitch,"_ hissed Marinette, spitting the words out, her ferocity startling even Tikki. "You targeted him deliberately. You tried to _destroy his life._ "

"I tried to _restore it!_ " Gabriel roared back, making everyone else jump. "Having erred as I did on Heroes' Day, appearing in public, so sure that final victory was in my grasp, I knew _very well_ that this day would come. I would be identified, I would be cornered, and I would be thrown in jail for the rest of my life. Now, I _ask_ you... what would that do to your beloved boyfriend, _hmmm?_ What would that do to the life he knows, the shreds that remain of his family, any hopes of his ever living a normal life _again?"_

Marinette stared at him, her mouth hanging open as Gabriel's rant continued.

"Which would you _prefer_ for Adrien, Marinette? He has no other family in this part of Europe. If I am caught... now that I _have been caught_ by a clever Ladybug and her snooping Kwami... do you think that he will enjoy foster care until he is of age? Perhaps living with a distant cousin and his wife in America? You would rack up impressive international phone bills when that happens, for as long as he chooses to stay in touch. As long as he could afford to, at least... With the fashion house crumbling without my guidance, and with the family fortune impounded by Interpol while my crimes are investigated... that normal, mundane life for him that you spoke of him wanting? He would become _most_ accustomed to it in a hurry, I assure you."

"Or..." he concluded, in a calmer voice, "I can try one last, desperate gamble to give him his _mother_ back. To keep him here in his home, with a mother who loves him, with the good life that he deserves... and with _you_ by his side. One final master plan. And this plan _could_ still work... but not without your help."

* * *

Adrien's eyes uncrossed, and his state of raw panic began to recede. As things began to refocus, he realized that he was in Master Fu's studio, sitting at his kitchen table. There was an aroma around him that he couldn't begin to place. He watched as Master Fu sat across from him, staring at him very intensely and judging his reactions to sound, to movement, and to other stimuli.

"Wh... what happened?" muttered Adrien. "I feel... funky."

"Ancient Chinese secret. Breathe deeply," Fu intoned, continuing to check Adrien's responsiveness. "I am bringing your mind and body back to normality, hard and fast. I regret the headache that you will have tomorrow - this is not a subtle herbal remedy - but I need you _thinking clearly, now."_

"I understand. I'm... I'm here, I'm listening," Adrien said. "Whatever it is, I think it's working."

"Plagg has told me the situation," explained Fu, "and I am pondering our best approach. Transform, please, and check your communicator; we must know if there are any further messages from Ladybug."

"Claws out!" Adrien said, then fiddled with his baton for a moment...

"Nope, nothing. Claws in," he replied, glumly.

"This is not necessarily a bad thing. She did not feel that she was in immediate danger; she may have transformed back to Marinette, and thus would be without her yo-yo for now. She may have needed Tikki's advice."

"Or..." Adrien shoved horrible thoughts out of his skull. "...Never mind the _or_. What do we _do?_ Our first plan was to call in _everyone_ and storm the place. Plagg told me that you have a _bunch_ of Miraculouses that we've never used before..."

"I understand your impulse... and the many reasons why you feel that so strongly," advised Fu. "But we do not know what is happening there. Ladybug advised caution. This is an extremely delicate situation, but it could also prove valuable to us."

"I need to _rescue her_. I am... a lot of things to her now, but I'm her _partner_. I need to be there," Adrien gasped.

" _Adrien_. Listen to me, please. You would be running blindly into your own home, confronting your father, whom you now know to be Hawkmoth. A villain who preys on negative and troubled emotions. Do we know that this was not his goal all along?" Fu's eyes were kindly, but nevertheless insistent. "I am not saying that you would be a liability, or that you could not help her. I _am_ saying that more is going on here that we currently know."

At Adrien's blank look, Fu continued. "Think with me. Hawkmoth is exposed. Ladybug is in his _house_. A recipe for swift and blinding violence, yes? Except that Ladybug knows all of this... and has told us that she's not in danger, that we should wait and see. Instead of beating Hawkmoth senseless... she may be learning, negotiating, trying to bring this saga to an end _without_ further violence."

"He _knows who she is,"_ moaned Adrien. "Her life will never be the same. She'll never be safe again. And I'm... _He's..._ I'll never be..."

"Easy, my boy. You really don't want more of these herbs, trust me," insisted Fu, reaching across to steady him. "Calm yourself as best we can. Right now, we need to wait and to let Ladybug guide us."

* * *

"You have my attention. What do you need from _me,_ besides the one thing you know that I can never give you?" demanded Marinette, through gritted teeth. "What is this big, secret plan?"

"I need to focus Adrien on one thing and one thing only; to restore his mother to health and to life," Gabriel replied, rattling off the details as succinctly as he could, as he stood up and paced around the room. "I need to break his will, or to gain his full cooperation, and Akumatize him... then grant him the power to heal someone whose life force is in magical limbo. He will be as powerful as I can possibly make him. But that, by itself, will not be enough! I fear that if he brings his mother only _most_ of the way back... from 10% to 80% alive, let us say... her body could not bear the strain, and the backlash when the power source faded would tear her soul to shreds."

"But the _wish,_ used at that precise moment, might well bring her the rest of the way back. And if she is magically strengthened when it happens, whoever pays the price could be far less weakened; 80% to 100% one way, 100% to 80% the other, if you will. At which point Adrien could refocus his healing magic on that person, strengthening _them_ with every ounce of power he has... and, with luck, restore _them_ to full health as well. 80% to 100% is a far easier hurdle to clear than from the very brink of death. And if someone is there who is willing to participate, to be that recipient, giving of themselves freely and with heartfelt intent, the chances of success are higher still."

Marinette concentrated on what she heard, following the chains of logic. "Tikki... is he making sense at all?" she asked. "Is this something that could or should happen?"

"...Some sense," Tikki answered, looking troubled. "It's not... _completely_ crazy. But it is _unbelievably_ risky! People's life forces are not... chemical experiments to play with! It could work exactly as you said, or the recipient could come crashing back down once the healer stops pouring energy into them. Or Emilie could. Or they could _both_ go up in a puff of magical flame."

"Nooroo? Could this work from your end?" Marinette half-whispered.

"It _has_ to. It is the only idea I have that stands any chance of working," Nooroo replied. "I just want this nightmare to be _over._ "

"I had intended myself as the recipient. That way, if things did go awry... nothing of value would be lost," Gabriel added, dryly. "It is still a strong possibility, though doing so while remaining transformed could be tricky. But then, my son began a romance with a charming young woman, and with a brave young heroine as well... and I considered playing upon those emotional bonds. Akumatizing whichever girl failed to win his heart, as a ploy to manipulate Adrien and his new love into place. But, to my surprise... the two young women remained supportive of each other, even as rivals! And as of this evening, now I know why that was. They were one and the same."

"And, thus, I have no right to ask you this, Marinette... but I _must."_ Gabriel's face was full of his own conflicted emotions. "The stronger the emotional bond between my healer and his target, the more successful the healing could be. A father and a son are very close... but a father who has tortured his son emotionally, perhaps not so much. But a young man and his first love...? That is a far different thing on many levels."

Tikki flew towards Gabriel, her anger obvious. "You _dare_ to even _suggest_ that she should-" she shouted.

"...So you want me to give up my Miraculous, and _risk my_ _life..._ to try to bring Adrien's _mother_ back?" Marinette interrupted, her eyes watery again.

Marinette tuned out Tikki's frantic yelling and focused on Gabriel's low voice as he leaned in closer to her. "What _I_ want is not of importance now. What _you_ want _is,_ Marinette. I do not think that any other person in the world could reach him the way that you have. You are the one missing piece of this puzzle, the keystone upon which everything rests."

"The decisions - and all of our fates - lie in _your_ hands," he added. "I cannot force you to aid us... to aid _Adrien_ in this way. But now that you know the full truth, if you choose not to do so... you will need to find a way to live with yourself."

* * *

Master Fu sat on a simple wooden chair, doing his best to appear calm when, inside, he was anything but.

 _This could be a major tactical error on my part. The longer we go without hearing from Ladybug, the more tempted I am to open the box and unleash hell, and let a Miraculous army sweep over Hawkmoth before he has time to do anything else._

 _But my instincts tell me that it is not the right response. For one, who knows what he might call up in his defense? The battle could take out whole city blocks, if we're _lucky_, and we do not know for sure that we will have a functioning Ladybug to pick up the pieces. She herself could be Akumatized; the trauma of this situation has to have left her vulnerable._

 _Marinette is very, very resourceful. I must have faith in her._

He glanced over at Adrien, who was defying Fu's orders to sit and rest and was pacing back and forth across the wooden floor. _And that boy... with the heart as big as all outdoors that he possesses... this is not a battle that he should have to fight. Facing Hawkmoth could be more traumatizing than helpful._

 _Had I known whom the Moth had found its way to... ah, but the fates will work as they will. Had I not acted as I did back then, would Marinette and Adrien have found each other as they have?_

 _But this is far more delicate than perhaps Adrien has realized so far. Or perhaps he has, given his emotional state. His life as he's known it is over, one way or the other, and the next few... what? Days, hours, minutes? could leave him in any number of unthinkable positions._

 _He had nearly... unraveled when I found him tonight. No shame in that, but it was hard to witness. And from what Plagg has told me, he _still_ doesn't know about his mother; I must prepare him before he leaves here, as that is nothing that he should ever face without foreknowledge._

 _He will need every bit of steel that he can muster within himself. And his Lady may have a will of iron herself, and be set on carrying both their burdens... but I fear for her, so much. I have a nasty feeling that her role in this family drama will run deeper than we know yet. She would make any sacrifice for him._

 _And even with all of this life-shattering chaos battering him... Adrien's first and second thoughts remain of her._

 _They are ideally matched. Made for each other, as I said long ago._ _The trick will be to keep that from being a deadly vulnerability._

* * *

Gabriel allowed Marinette to sit silently for a long moment, considering all that she had just heard, visibly devastated. If looks could kill, his troubles would've been over, thanks to Tikki.

"I... I need time to think about this," she managed, just above a whisper.

"Understand that time is not on your side any more, Marinette," Gabriel smiled, coldly. "No, I do not intend to strike at you the moment that your thirty minutes are up... which will be in about three minutes' time. I do not feel that I need to; the gravity of the situation should be sufficient, yes? The chain of events that, let us say, _a full-scale assault by brightly-clad teenagers_ would cause would not serve _either_ of us well... _or_ Adrien."

His sinister expression was unmistakably Hawkmoth's, even out of costume. "And speaking of, when you see him... since I imagine that he is huddled up on your front door at the moment, or perhaps on that Nino boy's... tell Adrien that I will expect him home soon, will you? If tiny Kwami mouths have been whispering in his ear, we will have _much_ to talk about."

"I don't care _what_ you threaten me with, Hawkmoth," Marinette hissed back, her eyes burning with fury. "But if you hurt him again... I will _end_ you. Don't you ever forget that."

"In that case... there are two things that I feel I must leave you with tonight, Marinette," he replied, leaning in close. "One of them is this... I do not _wish_ to hurt him. _Or_ you. I am being completely honest with you; what I have done, what I do now, is for Adrien's own good. My own actions _and_ yours have left me with no alternative but to walk this difficult path."

His face softened for a moment. "I... genuinely admire you, Marinette. You are not just a worthy adversary in this game that we play; you are _fascinating_ in so many ways. I dearly wish that circumstances had been different, and that we could have been allies instead. And, perhaps in a way, we shall; because I know how protective you are of Adrien, how sincere your feelings are for him, and his for you. We each wish to steer his destiny to where he deserves to be, and we may yet build that destiny together. And if I should fail, if I should fall... I trust that you will catch him, as best you can."

"What's the other thing?" Marinette asked, stone-faced, but _screaming_ internally.

"That I do not _need_ my powers to play the villain's part," he said, "or to control this situation. But if you do not want a reminder of what I am capable of _with_ them... you will remain in touch. You will be watched, make no mistake."

Gabriel reached out and took Marinette's hand, kissing the back of it lightly once again, this time with Marinette cringing as if she thought he'd bite it off. " _Enchanté_ once more, Mademoiselle," he smiled. "We shall meet again, and you shall always be a welcome guest here. Would you like me to walk you out myself? My bodyguard can provide your transportation home, or..."

"Spots on!" shouted Marinette, and in a white flash she became Ladybug once more. "I think I can make it on my own. Maybe I'll take the bus," she snarled.

"As I suspected," smirked Gabriel.

She retreated to the elevator platform, hurriedly. "Third button on the left..." Gabriel called, as he watched her toss her yo-yo skyward and ascend to the main building. "Or... never mind."

He turned around, facing Emilie's resting place... and stood there silently for a long, long time.

* * *

For the fifth time in the last twenty minutes, Adrien gasped, "I have to check again."

Plagg nodded wearily, and added, "You _could_ just stay transformed. I mean, I'm okay so far going back and forth, but Master Fu doesn't exactly keep Camembert in his fridge."

Ignoring him, Adrien transformed, then tapped his baton once more to activate his communicator. He listened intently...

Master Fu watched Chat Noir jerk to attention, abruptly. "We've got one!" he announced excitedly, motioning for Fu to join him. He hit the Play button, and they heard:

" **Chat Noir... _stand down_. I repeat, _stand down._ If you are at... you know who's... stay there. Do not move on the Agreste mansion. We all need to talk before doing _anything._ I'm on my way as soon as I can think again."**

* * *

"Spots off," panted Ladybug, face down on a lounger on her rooftop balcony. The change back to Marinette did not encourage her in any way to move from that position.

Tikki wasted no time in flying to her side. "I am _sorry,_ I am _so sorry,_ Marinette, this is _all my fault!_ I got caught by Nooroo and he figured things out! I was so convinced that I was doing the right thing-"

"You _were,_ Tikki," Marinette said, her voice muffled by the pillow her face was buried in. "You were. If Mr. Agreste is Hawkmoth, we needed to kn-know that. Even if it sh-shatters _everything_."

"We're not done yet," said Tikki, trying to be supportive. "If we-"

"But I don't know if I'll ever know w-what 'the right thing' is again."

Quiet sobbing was audible, even through the pillow, as Tikki hovered silently.

"I knew how dangerous it could be, being Ladybug," Marinette breathed, growing steadily louder. "I thought I had it handled. I thought I understood it. But now... now, I don't know _what_ to do, Tikki. I'm in danger. My mom and dad are in danger. All my friends! My whole _family!_ And _Adrien... oh, my GOD, Tikki!_ His life is _ruined!"_

"This would have come out sooner or later. It was inevitable. Hawkmoth couldn't hide forever," parried Tikki.

"And now he's _won."_

"Marinette..." said Tikki, after a long pause. "we don't know what we're going to do yet, or what he's going to do. He's not going to destroy Adrien's life _or_ yours on a whim. He threatened you, but he also needs you."

"He needs me to give up my Miraculous, and to get Chat's away from him, and to just _let him_ do the one thing we're fighting to _keep_ him from doing. _And_ risk my own life in the process! Though that's... I'm kind of okay with that part."

"I am _completely not okay_ with that part!" sputtered Tikki.

"I do it every time that I suit up, don't I?" Marinette replied. "It's just a matter of... directness. Is the magic of the wish enough to make this work?"

"I don't know that even a _Kwami_ can decide that," Tikki evaded.

"Which means that you don't know, or that you do and you're not telling me?" persisted Marinette.

Tikki was silent.

"Adrien can't go home," declared Marinette, sitting up. "I _will not_ let him go through that. Living under Hawkmoth's roof? With his mother's body right under his nose and he has no idea?"

"And what are you going to do about that, exactly?" argued Tikki. "Your house is the first place his father would look, and you'd need an awful lot of explaining as to why he needs to be there."

"Where is he now? Do you know?" asked Marinette.

"Master Fu's is where he should be. Which is where we need to go now, for a lot of reasons."

Marinette stared at Tikki. "Tikki... how _did_ he get out of the house? Nathalie was right there; he never came back downstairs while we were there," she wondered. "Did you have Chat Noir come and get him?"

Tikki paused, thoughtfully. "Master Fu's. Where we need to go _now_ , for a _lot_ of reasons."

* * *

A light knock at the door broke the tension in Master Fu's studio.

Master Fu motioned to Adrien to follow him. Quietly, he strode to his front door and opened it...

A vision in a blue dress stood before him, looking nearly as shattered as Adrien had not long before. She did not look physically beaten or abused... more as if someone had used a jackhammer on her psyche. Fresh tears were on her cheeks, and the sparkle of light normally in her eyes seemed absent.

"M-Master Fu... are they here?" Marinette gasped.

"Come in, come in," Fu motioned, putting her arm over his shoulders and assisting her inside. They took two steps together, three, four, and then she saw him -

Master Fu saw the topmost box on two mental checklists fill in simultaneously -

 _She's here! She's okay!_

 _He's here! He's okay!_

And no force on the planet could have kept Marinette and Adrien apart at that moment.

* * *

The two of them ran together, diving into an embrace. It was not a romantic one; it was a simple confirmation that neither was dreaming at that moment, that at least for a brief moment in time, something was actually right with the world.

Wisely, the old man stood back and let the emotional wave crash and roll back. This was going to take a little while.

"You know?" gasped Marinette. "Chat or Master Fu told you?"

"Yeah," Adrien managed. "Plagg even packed me a suitcase."

"Oh, God, I am _so sorry_ , Adrien, this is... I don't know what we're going to do-"

"Hold on tight," whispered Adrien. "I don't know, either. I have no idea; I'm still... processing. But _I have you_ and _you have me_. That's all we need to figure this out, somehow."

"I can't lose you," Marinette insisted, desperately.

"You're not going to. We won't let that happen."

She wrapped around him again and closed her eyes, tightly. _And I know what I have to do to make sure of that,_ she thought. _But I can't do it by myself._

"M-Master Fu?" she asked, "Is Chat Noir here?"

Adrien turned his head, still holding Marinette close, and looked intently at Master Fu... who nodded.

"He is."

* * *

Next time:

* "That... that is going to save _so much_ time."

* "We need to talk... alone."

* "So we're _not_ heading to the airport?"

* "At some point, I do need to go home tonight... and find _you_ one."

* "Maybe they ran off to get married. I sure hope so!"

* "This isn't even a _choice."_

* And so much more...


	21. Clear Eyes, Troubled Hearts

Someone To Watch Over Me, Chapter 21: Clear Eyes, Troubled Hearts

* * *

The words sounded so innocent in Marinette's ears at first.

 _"Is Chat Noir here?"_ she'd asked.

" _He is."_

She heard Adrien's voice and opened her eyes, looking around the room but not seeing her costumed partner. She waited for a moment, assuming that he would come walking around a corner from another room... any time now...

"Good. There's something of _vital_ importance that I need to talk to him about," Marinette replied, still watching the doorway.

 _Any time now..._

"I'm... oh! I'm being careless, aren't I?" she half-whispered, just loud enough for Master Fu to hear. "If Chat heard _me_ talking about Ladybug things, knowing who _Master_ Fu is, I'd have a lot of explaining to do. This crazy night's left me not thinking straight."

Marinette looked over at Master Fu... who had an odd smile on his face. "I believe, Marinette, that explanations may be precisely what are needed this evening," he said, remaining a polite distance away.

 _What does he mean by that?_ she wondered.

 _And that... that was an odd tone of voice from Adrien just now. Almost... kind of scared._

 _Well, of course he's scared! He's been through so much this evening, and we're just getting started... He knows about his father, because he must've heard it from Chat. He even said that..._

 _...That..._

 _...WAIT._

Marinette leaned back slightly out of their embrace, a suddenly calculating look in her eyes. "Adrien? Can I ask you something?" she said.

"Of c-course you can," replied Adrien, nervously.

"You just told me that _Plagg_ packed you a suitcase?"

"I did."

"Adrien... how do you know who Plagg is?" she asked, looking a bit wary.

* * *

Adrien felt his heart pounding in his chest as he watched Marinette solve the puzzle in her mind. _I hope you're right, Master Fu... because there's no turning back now,_ he thought, remaining silent for the time being.

"Master Fu... did you tell Adrien about Plagg?" she asked him, a bit tentatively.

"Plagg speaks for himself well enough," Fu replied, with a small smile.

"Okay... that means one of two things. Either Chat transformed back while he was in your house... but why would he have done that?" she wondered, vocalizing her train of thought. "He'd have come through your window and carried you out, and packed a suitcase himself if that's what was needed."

"And that sounds logical... but that's not what happened," replied Adrien.

"Or he transformed in front of you some other time. Which, if he did, I might have to yell at him about..." Marinette continued.

Adrien's head-shake and smile were his only answers to that.

"So, then _how_... How could you know about...!"

Marinette's eyes went _huge_.

Adrien reached out and took her hands in his, with one last glance at Master Fu, looking for reassurance that he was doing the right thing.

"Marinette... please, just listen to me now, okay?" Adrien said, in a gentle voice, to which she nodded.

"I fell in love with two incredible girls... who turned out to be one. I hope that you'll feel just as strongly for your one... if he turns out to have been two all along."

He gestured down to his hand, where Marinette saw a silver ring, disguised by the magic of the Miraculous.

* * *

"You... that's..." Marinette managed, still not completely believing it. "He couldn't have given you his ring there... because he'd still be there! Chat couldn't have gotten out of your bedroom without his powers. A bedroom that... you disappear from all the time, your dad said so..."

"He knows that I do that. He doesn't know how." Adrien's nervousness increased as he said that. "Or at least he _didn't_ before tonight. I don't know what he knows now."

"He asked me... if _you were_ Chat Noir... and I told him that I couldn't imagine that, but I really didn't know... because I can't..." Marinette's voice rang with alarm; she turned towards Master Fu, a bit startled at how calm he appeared to be, then back to Adrien.

"... _All along_?" she gasped, with several different emotions fighting for the foreground, some carrying weapons.

"...All along," Adrien confirmed, watching her reaction carefully. "We've been right under each other's noses for months. I had no idea until the other night."

Marinette's face went from surprise... to joy... to full-on alarm... to thoughtfulness... and back to joy in rapid succession. Her Wheel of Expressions finally stopped on concern, and she turned to Master Fu once more.

"...You've _known_ about this? ...Of _course_ you've known about this, you gave us our Miraculous," she stammered. "But you've known about... _us?"_

"A young man came to me yesterday afternoon, after he'd had an important realization the night before. And after he'd..."

"I, um, don't know that I want to say what I did," interrupted Adrien. "Not yet."

"There is one element of that which will be important... but all in good time," Fu smiled. "But he was consumed with concern for you because of what he now knew, and what that implied. He was prepared to _give up_ being Chat Noir if that was what I required... and I will tell you now what I told him then. As far as the general public goes, and almost everyone else, your secrets need to remain just that... but if the time is right between the two of you to know, I have no objections."

"And I can't hold it in any longer... especially now that everything _else_ in my life just went to hell," Adrien added. "I don't know how we're going to fight him together _without_ your knowing the truth. Worrying about getting me out of the house tonight put you in danger. I wanted to respect your wishes and hold this back... but we have to go into what comes next with our eyes wide open."

Marinette stared at him, long and hard... then cupped her fingers and encircled his eyes with them, as if simulating a mask. She leaned back again, still reeling.

"I can ruff my hair up, if that'll help," he smiled. "Or pun at you, Bugaboo."

"Don't you _dare_ ," she grinned, the truth of it beginning to sink in more fully. "I'm still... processing this, okay? But if it _is_ true..."

"Oh, I promise you, it is," a tiny, squeaky voice said.

She turned to see Tikki and Plagg floating together about a meter away from them, side by side, and her jaw dropped.

"And _now_ I can talk about this," smiled Tikki, apologetically.

* * *

Adrien looked a bit more hopeful, seeing Marinette's smile returning. "So... I guess this means that you _really_ _are_ Ladybug, huh?" he quipped.

That earned him a playful smack on the arm. "Oh, you _so_ knew that already," she giggled back at him. "But I guess this means that we really are saying it out loud now."

"Only with each other," Plagg cautioned. "But you knew that. Good to meet you again, Toots."

Marinette greeted him back, but with a slight hesitation and visible nervousness.

Adrien noticed that, then ventured, "We _are_ going to talk about this, right? And what it means for the two of us, both as partners and as... _us_?"

"We... really need to, yeah," managed Marinette, seeing his concern. "Not in a bad way, I promise! I'm... I think I'm okay, I _know_ I'm okay with you, Adrien, I'm just... _overloaded!_ It'll sink in soon, I'm sure. I just got through an insanely terrifying night and we all _have to_ talk about that first! Right _now."_

Adrien watched with admiration as his girlfriend gathered her will and, before his eyes, shifted to Ladybug mode without transforming. Her concentration, her posture, her tone of voice... it was all clearly still Marinette, of course, but it still gave him a little thrill to see the confidence and strength of Ladybug come to the fore like this.

"Let's gather around the dining room table, okay?" she directed Adrien, Fu and the Kwamis, and none of them argued. "Master Fu, we need your wisdom badly," she told him, "because after everything that I just learned about Hawkmoth and what he _really_ wants the Miraculous for... I'm scared beyond _belief."_

* * *

The whir of the elevated platform brought Gabriel back to the atelier. As he expected, Nathalie was standing right there, on the edge of full-on panic.

"Sir..." she breathed, "I don't... what just... _Ladybug_... how did you..."

"Shhh," he intoned. "Take a breath, Nathalie. I understand your alarm."

" _Understand?_ " Nathalie gulped. "I don't understand anything! Ladybug was here... did we just have _dinner_ with her? Adrien is... I can't find him... and you... when she came back up, I thought... you'd been defeated..."

"There was no fight," said Gabriel. "Nor do I expect there to be one, I pray. Miss Dupain-Cheng is a remarkable young woman... and an intelligent and reasonable one. I made a last, desperate play, and I believe it has left us in a delicate but workable position. A Sword of Damocles hangs over my own head... but over hers, as well, and we both now understand what the stakes are regarding Adrien."

Nathalie stared, dumbly. "So... we're _not_ headed to the airport?" she asked, stunned. "I was just about to grab my passport."

Gabriel smiled at that, a sad smile. "I am not. I have come too far, and owe my son far too much to run away now... and my goal may yet come to pass. I knew that when I became Hawkmoth, there would likely be a day of reckoning for me. But your own role in these affairs is far smaller, and should you wish to flee, I will gladly release you from all obligations and protect you however I may. Your loyalty has been without question, but I would not take you down with me without need."

"Before I answer that... I need to know more," Nathalie replied. "What exactly are we facing here? And what last trick is up your sleeve?"

* * *

"All right," Marinette began, "before we go any further, we all need to be on the same page here. Adrien..." she asked, with sad eyes, "...you are aware of your father's secret now? I have to be sure."

"Y-yes," he stammered. "He's been Hawkmoth all along. You were so sure of it that day, and I didn't believe you..."

Marinette laid her hand on his and squeezed it gently. "I didn't want to believe it then, either, and he faked us out by... Akumatizing _himself?_ " she wondered aloud.

"It is possible," agreed Master Fu. "He could've renounced the Miraculous temporarily after creating an Akuma, then told it to return. Or he could have had assistance that day, as we know that he has since then. Either way... we cannot argue with the facts before us."

"Okay. Now that I know... what I know," continued Marinette, casting a soft smile Adrien's way, "I have an idea of how you got out of the house in one piece, and I'm _so_ glad you did. Tikki, Plagg... what else do I need to know about what led up to that?"

Plagg spoke up first. "I found the second secret room last night, by following Gabriel. I couldn't believe my eyes! I wanted to tell you," he apologized in Adrien's direction, "but I needed to be sure first. So I talked with Tikki in school today, and we went exploring while you were showing Marinette around your house. We found Nooroo's butterflies in Hawkmoth's lair, and that confirmed _that_. So I went upstairs to get your escape route ready, and Tikki kept looking..."

"...And I got caught," lamented Tikki. "Nooroo snuck up behind me."

"Because _I_ got caught," insisted Plagg. "He caught a glimpse of me last night or he wouldn't have known to have been there."

"I am not interested in dividing blame," noted Master Fu, calmly. "Only in what we need to know to proceed."

"Been _where?_ " boggled Adrien. "You're saying that Father has _two_ secret rooms in our house, and one of them is Hawkmoth's lair? What's in the other one?"

"Adrien..." said Marinette, closing her eyes. "I'm going to tell you that, but you have to promise me first that you're not going to go running out of here once you know! We can't do anything about this tonight. We have to have a plan, and we have to figure out what _can_ be done. This isn't a bad thing, exactly."

"My father is Hawkmoth... and that's not the _big_ secret?" Adrien gasped, turning rather pale. "What is it, Marinette?"

"Adrien..." she said, wiping some tears away... "your mother is _alive,_ and I've _seen_ her myself."

* * *

 _"W-WHAT?"_

Adrien sank back in his chair, completely overwhelmed. Far from leaping up and running home, he looked like he didn't want to move again for a month.

Slowly, Marinette related what she had learned from Gabriel, with Tikki's corroboration: that the Moth and Peacock had been found from his parents' trip to Tibet, that Emilie was alive but in magical stasis, that using the Wish to restore her had been his father's main goal all along, and that Gabriel had laid out a plan of action involving Adrien's Akumatization. Her hand never left Adrien's as she spoke.

Fu's frown grew in intensity as he listened, but he limited himself to brief, clarifying questions until he'd heard the whole tale. Plagg looked like _he_ was about to bolt out the window and hunt Gabriel down, to the point where both Tikki and Wayzz kept a close watch on him.

As for Adrien... Marinette thought that her heart was going to break, watching his reactions. He remained silent and focused on her, but his eyes told the story; he was clinging to the last drop of sanity he had left.

* * *

Gabriel finished his own recap, wearily. "Ironic, is it not?" he noted. "Countless attempts to seize the Ladybug earrings by force... and the _girl_ proves to be the more important part. For now Emilie's fate is in her hands, rather than mine."

"Do you think that she will cooperate?" asked Nathalie, still wide-eyed. " _Can_ she cooperate?"

"My suspicion is that this isn't even a _choice,_ " he replied. "If she does, her young love regains his mother, keeps his good life and remains by her side. If she does not, she dooms all three of those."

"That's a lot of faith in her affections," she retorted. "Particularly when your own freedom is at stake! And, uh, _mine."_

"Did you see the two of them tonight?" Gabriel parried, dryly. "Was there any indication that either one of them is less than fully committed?"

"Well, no..." Nathalie allowed. "They were kind of... inspirational that way."

"And the sword remains double-edged," said Gabriel. "She knows that she is just as personally compromised. That puts her, her family, her friends, her _future_ at risk... So I may appeal to both her better nature and to her fear. The carrot is the stick, and vice versa."

"And, besides," he smiled, "can she resist the additional opportunity to bring the notorious Hawkmoth to justice?"

"Be honest with me," Nathalie insisted. "Even if she does cooperate and help you revive your wife, and you succeed... do you have any intention of handing over your Miraculous and going to prison?"

Gabriel stared back at her, his face unreadable.

"What do _you_ think?"

* * *

Master Fu sat quietly in his chair, his eyes half-closed, clearly concentrating hard.

"Is there any hope?" Marinette asked in a low voice. "Could Gabriel's plan work? It has a lot of complicated parts, and even Tikki wasn't sure."

The old man remained motionless for another minute. Finally, he spoke...

"It is not without possibilities. I will give him credit; he has thought it through rather well," Fu admitted. "I need some time to consider the many implications."

Tikki glanced at Adrien nervously, then addressed Fu. "Master... I am... uncomfortable on many levels with this."

"As am I," said Fu. "The Wish is not to be considered lightly; doing so to aid an arch-criminal who has misused a Miraculous horribly, and who may intend on blackmailing our Ladybug? Ridiculous."

"And yet..." he continued, folding his hands. "We could potentially end his threat, without further violence, and without putting innocents in danger. We could return both the Moth and the Peacock to their rightful home, and perhaps repair the damage done to the latter. Gabriel has leverage over both of you; this needs to be resolved, as well."

"Master... if I am, um, compromised like I am now... will I have to give up my Miraculous?" Marinette asked, the realization coming to her just then. "Or will Adrien?"

"I am thinking about that, as well," Fu replied. "I do not _want_ to ask that of you; you two are everything I could have asked for in young heroes, and far beyond that! But I must think of your own safety... and your family's... and the Miraculous themselves. I _suspect_ that Gabriel will not strike at any of you lightly; he needs your cooperation if he is to gain what he desires. But, should we not allow this to happen, what might he do to you, or to any of _them_ , to compel our agreement?"

He looked at Adrien with kindly eyes. "My boy, it's _you_ that I worry about the most," he added, soothingly. "Your life has changed in so many ways tonight. I do not envy what you are going through right now."

Adrien stared back, focusing as best he could under the circumstances. "I don't want to leave any of this undone. If my father is Hawkmoth... I need to bring him in. _Whatever_ it costs," he growled.

"I understand, Adrien... but there is far more that I must also consider. Such as where you will stay tonight, for starters," Fu noted.

"I can take him home with me!" Marinette volunteered, immediately.

"Marinette... your parents are coming to terms with the idea that their lovely daughter has her first boyfriend. I would guess that their eyebrows might raise at him moving in with you on your third day as a couple," he chuckled. _"And_ that would certainly be the first place that Gabriel would look for him. I would offer him my own hospitality... but I cannot afford to let myself or the Miracle Box be discovered by Gabriel, either! But I will not turn him out or send him back to Gabriel tonight, particularly since we do not know if his own identity is exposed yet."

"Is there somewhere nearby that he and I can go for a little while?" asked Marinette, who turned towards Adrien with a concerned expression. "We need to talk... alone."

"There is a small courtyard out my back door; it's cool outside tonight, but not frigid like the other night was," replied Fu. "It should give you the privacy you need. Kwamis, would you please come with me?"

Fu and his entourage of spirits departed towards a back room, while Marinette gently coaxed Adrien up out of his chair. "Come with me, honey? We need to work some things out," she told him, as softly as she could.

* * *

A small bench by Master Fu's koi pond seemed to be as good a place as any for Marinette and Adrien to settle in.

"I'm not even going to ask 'Are you okay?', Adrien," Marinette began. "Because there's no way in the world that you _could be_ right now. But I want to remind you of what you told me tonight, okay?"

He nodded, silently.

"I have you... and _you have me_. I'm not going anywhere... Chat Noir. Between us, we will figure this out," she smiled. "I promise."

"I... I was so scared, this whole time..." Adrien managed. "From the moment that you started, well, flirting with me as Ladybug... I knew how sure you were that you could never date Chat Noir..."

"I told you, that first night we were out in the park... it's not that Chat Noir didn't have a place in my heart," Marinette reminded him. "Just that... everything else involving our identities... and there was _you_. You had dibs on my heart, even if you didn't know it then."

"Still... I felt like I'd been lying to you, all this time," he said. "Especially once we started dating and I stumbled over your secret. Now you really _were_ dating Chat and you didn't know it."

"I'm... kind of glad that I didn't know then?" ventured Marinette. "That meant that when your father asked me if you were Chat, I was honest and said that I didn't know. Though we're past a lot of that now." She thought for a moment, then added, "I was afraid of what _Master Fu_ would say. 'You two are too close, and knowing each other's identities makes you vulnerable; you must return your Miraculous,' or something like that. But he seemed... fine with it tonight!"

"The night that I figured out your identity, I didn't get a lot of sleep," Adrien half-smiled. "I thought about it all day the next day, and I made a big decision... and I tried to give my Miraculous to Nino."

It was Marinette's turn to look completely stunned. "You did _what?_ " she gasped.

"I knew how you felt about never dating Chat. And after that moment outside your front door... there was no doubt at all that we were a couple," he said, lowering his eyes. "But Ladybug needs her partner and I wouldn't leave her without one... so I wanted someone I could trust to fill those shoes. Of course, it turned out that he already _had one_ some of the time..."

"I can only imagine the look on both your faces," Marinette laughed.

"Yeah. But, um... one thing led to another after that, and he figured out _your_ identity, too. I thought Plagg was going to explode."

"Oh... _my gosh,"_ boggled Marinette, her laughter ending abruptly. "Did he tell _Alya?_ He couldn't have, or I'd never have heard the end of it by now."

"He swore that he wouldn't! Anyway, _one_ , you needed to know that, and _two,_ I went straight to Master Fu afterwards. I needed his guidance so badly. I told him what had happened, and held out my Miraculous to him... and he wouldn't take it. He gave us his blessing, instead, and left it to me as to when and if to tell you."

Marinette leaned in a little closer. "Adrien... are you that _sure_ that you don't want to be Chat Noir any more?" she asked, worriedly.

"No! No, that's not it at all, Marinette. I do want to be Chat. I do want to be by your side, in costume and out! But if I had to choose between the two, being your partner or being your boyfriend... well, other people can use the ring," Adrien replied. "I needed to respect your wishes first and foremost... and I like to think that as a boyfriend, I'd be harder to replace."

Marinette lunged across and wrapped him up in her arms, holding on tight. "You have no idea how much," she whispered back.

After a moment, she disengaged and gave him a warm grin. "We do have a lot of things we'll want to talk about, once... all of this craziness settles down and we can think again," she noted. "I've been putting off so much. Like... one of the things I'd been needing to do was to meet up with Chat Noir, to break it to him gently that I have a boyfriend now and to make sure that he understood! It's something that I needed to do, very much. I was _so afraid_ of hurting him."

"I have to admit, I was stunned out of my shoes when you revealed yourself just now, but your being Chat Noir... that... that is going to save _so much_ time," she beamed. "But we'll want to figure out how this changes how we react to Akumas, how Ladybug and Chat act in public... lots of things."

"I'm sure. But I'm just... I'm so relieved that I can finally share all of myself with you," Adrien breathed. "The way that I've wanted to all along."

"Except... for the punning part. That you don't have to share so much," she laughed.

That got the first genuine laugh of the night out of Adrien, briefly. "Oh, you love it and you know it..."

* * *

Small talk continued for a couple of minutes, Marinette doing everything she could to lighten Adrien's mood a little and bring his normal self out of hiding. She felt like it was beginning to work, judging from his reactions.

"I wish that I could've been a fly on the wall when you and Father confronted each other," Adrien mused. "If I'd heard a battle begin, nothing could've kept me away from it..."

"You have _nothing_ to feel bad about there, Adrien," Marinette proclaimed. "My first goal was for you to be safe. And when he wanted to talk instead of fight... well... I couldn't believe it, but I wasn't complaining, at least at first."

Adrien's face grew a little dreamy. "And when he showed you that... my mother is _alive!_ I'm... I've wanted to believe that _so much_ for _so long_ , you know?" he stammered. "I'm not sure that I believe it all the way yet. Not until I see her with my own eyes."

"Adrien... I can assure you that Tikki checked her out and said that everything seemed okay, other than her being... magically preserved, okay?" Marinette responded, tentatively. "She didn't look uncomfortable or in pain. She's just... waiting."

"Why didn't he _tell me?"_ he wondered out loud, mostly rhetorically.

"Would you have believed it, when it first happened?" asked Marinette. "That magic is real, that she was okay deep down, but that doctors and science couldn't do anything and he needed to obtain magic jewelry to fix things? I know that I would've thought that he was _crazy."_

"It _sounds_ crazy," agreed Adrien. "But ever since this entered my life," he said, holding up his ring, "crazy's kind of been how life is."

They were both silent for a moment, before Adrien added, "And I don't know what to do now."

* * *

"There's not a lot that we _can_ do," Marinette replied. "Not until Master Fu tells us what our real options are."

"Oh, if Master Fu comes back and says 'no Wish, no way, go bring your father to justice now,' it'll be... interesting for me... but it has to be done. Father's gone _way_ too far," Adrien intoned, "and put too many people in danger... including _you_ and your family! What he wants... what I want... isn't worth that."

He sighed. "I'm more worried about what happens if Master Fu says that Father's plan _could_ work."

"I could... kind of see where your father was coming from," said Marinette, cautiously. "If he was being honest, and both Nooroo and Tikki seemed to believe that he was. If he does what he said he would, if he trades his Miraculous to us for our help in reviving your mother, and surrenders afterwards..."

"I don't know if I trust him to do that," Adrien grumbled. "Not any more. I don't think I can ever trust him again about _anything_."

"Nooroo knows him better than anyone except you... and maybe even you, lately, since he's been hiding all of this from you. And Nooroo thought that your father really was being sincere," she added. "That he sees that his time is limited, and he wants to give you the good life you deserve, including your mother by your side."

"But at what cost?"

Adrien stared at Marinette, very intensely. "This isn't some snap-of-the-fingers kind of ritual, from how you described it. This is playing with forces that _none of us_ know much about! And I could _never_ ask you to be part of it."

"You couldn't ask, but I'm going to, if it comes to that," Marinette replied, calmly.

"No. _NO!_ I can't... I can't let you risk that," Adrien demanded. "You don't know what could happen to you, if something went wrong. You could end up crippled or _dead!_ Or in a magical coma just like Mother is... and I couldn't live another _minute_ knowing that my selfishness had done that to you."

"And I couldn't live with _myself_ knowing that I have the power to help you save her, to try and return her to you... and doing nothing," she parried, taking his hand. "That's against everything that I believe in."

"I can't _lose you_ , _Marinette!_ " begged Adrien. "You understand that, right?"

"I can't lose _you, either,"_ Marinette said, getting choked up. "So I won't let your father throw _your_ life away."

They were both silent for a moment.

"This is all premature, anyway. We have to see what he says, first," noted Marinette. "It might not even be possible."

"Yeah," he whimpered.

* * *

Marinette put her arm around his shoulders, and he huddled in close to her. They sat there for about another minute before Marinette felt him shaking gently, his breathing growing uneven.

"Let it out... it's okay, let it out, Adrien," she whispered, stroking his hair gently.

Despite himself, he started sobbing in her arms, clinging to her desperately. She kept at least some of her own tears inside.

"It's just.. too much," he managed, his voice ragged. "I don't... I _can't..."_

"I'm here. I'm _here,_ Adrien," Marinette murmured, not knowing what else to say. "Just hold on tight."

"I have no idea what I'm going to do tonight... or tomorrow... or ever again," Adrien shuddered. "My father's tried to Akumatize _both of us_... he's tried to _kill us,_ many times over, even if he didn't know that! He's going to jail... he _has_ to... and I have no idea what happens to the family or the company after _that..._ I can't go home tonight, Marinette; I don't know if I ever _can!"_

"I'm... thinking about that last part, okay? At some point, I do need to go home tonight... and find _you_ one. I might just have an idea as to whom we should ask," she pondered. "They might just owe us both a favor. And if things do go sideways, I can talk to my parents and see what they say about letting you stay for a while. We do have a spare room. I'm _sure_ that they wouldn't just turn you away."

She smiled down at him. "Just think what Alya and Nino will say! 'So, when's your next date with Adrien?' 'Oh, I'm living with him now.'"

That startled him enough to get a slight, involuntary laugh out of him. "Me, living with a girl, and we're not even married? What would my father say?" he gasped. "The scandal!"

"I'd better be careful with you! A girl's got to watch her reputation," Marinette grinned back.

"As for my mother... I'm all tied up in knots inside," Adrien admitted. "Part of me would do... _anything_ to bring her back! I miss her so much, every day of my life! And part of me is horrified by how selfish that feeling is... because it's not just myself that we'd be risking."

He leaned back and gave her a sad smile. "I have no idea what I would do without you, Marinette," he said.

"If I can help it... you'll never have to find that out," she replied, softly.

* * *

"How are they doing, Tikki?"

She flew away from the window and returned to Master Fu's side. "Reasonably well, so far," Tikki told him. "Marinette's comforting him as best she can. It looks like they're both holding up decently so far."

"Good to hear... though I wonder how long it can last," he replied.

"How are _you_ holding up, Master?" asked Wayzz, looking concerned.

"Struggling," he admitted. "This is a most vexing dilemma, and there is no clear path forward." The three Kwamis watched him pace around the room, anxiously. "The actions of the father have damned the son, unless we submit to his desires. And yet those desires make so much more sense now, do they not? The risks involved are monumental, yet the damage if we choose not to is certain."

"You are sure that he would act destructively if he is denied?" asked Tikki. "That is also my belief, but I'm not entirely certain of it. We have some leverage over him, as well."

"Oh, he would _act._ The most dangerous of men is he who has nothing left to lose," muttered Fu. "He knows that he is compromised, regardless of what may follow, and he knows the precise pressure points at which to strike if he so chooses. Our own leverage will not grow over time as his will, so one way or another, we must act... and quickly."

"I could end this whole thing with one touch," growled Plagg, ominously.

Three heads, two of them tiny, turned and stared at him.

"I _won't_..." he clarified, "but do not even _tell me_ that it's not an option."

"It is _not an option_ ," retorted Fu. "Beyond the obvious reasons why not... would you have rumors spreading that Gabriel Agreste was Cataclysmed, that Chat Noir is a murderer?"

"No... I know, I know," Plagg grumbled. "But we can't just give him what he wants!"

"Can't we?" puzzled Fu. "Showing mercy to a defeated foe. Restoring life to an innocent. Giving Adrien the best life possible going forward. Ending the threat of Hawkmoth once and for all, and closing the Miracle Box with all compartments filled for the first time in generations. These ends are tempting in and of themselves."

"They would be," he added, "in a best-case scenario, of course. Where this ritual works as designed and Hawkmoth holds up his end of the bargain. Should the ritual fail, it could leave Marinette or Adrien or Emilie drained or dead... or all three! Even if it works properly, two weakened heroes with Hawkmoth standing next to them in his own lair? Quite a temptation."

"Quite a catastrophe about to happen, you mean," Plagg agreed.

"That is why we could have fifteen other Miraculous hosts standing there, lined up, ready to strike," suggested Tikki. "Hawkmoth is dangerous... but he's not _that_ stupid."

"Also a possibility, Tikki... but a last resort in my mind. I am picturing Hawkmoth using endangered lives as hostages and putting all hosts present at risk," Fu mused. "And Marinette and Adrien's secrets known to fifteen _more_ people. If I can minimize the risk, instead... I have a different idea forming in my mind, but the first question is whether this ritual stands a chance of success at all."

He sighed. "I do so wish that Nooroo was here; his insights on Gabriel and on his own limitations would be most valuable. But he is not, so... Plagg, Tikki? You have more experience with the Wish than anyone, for obvious reasons. I have studied it; you have _performed_ it. What do you think? Could Hawkmoth's plan succeed and leave both Emilie and the ritual's purveyors unharmed?"

Tikki stared at Plagg, and Plagg stared back.

* * *

"I have to admit," Adrien said, cuddled up with Marinette, "I am going to miss the costumed life. I mean, I won't miss getting punted around the city by Akumas..."

"Miss it?" Marinette asked, a little surprised. "Master Fu said that he didn't _want_ to take our Miraculous away..."

"Well, I look at it this way. If my father knows our identities, Master Fu might take yours for your own safety, or he might not. Mine, he almost _has to_ once my father figures it out, if he hasn't already," argued Adrien. "But we were given them in the first place to purify Hawkmoth's Akumas and protect Paris from them. If there's no more Hawkmoth, there'll be no more Akumas... so will we still be needed?"

"That's... I hadn't thought of that," gulped Marinette. "But that's always been his decision to make. And you've already tried to give yours away this week..."

"To be with _you_. That's... kind of a special case," Adrien replied, sheepishly.

"...and I tried to give mine away once, too," she added. "For a very different reason."

 _"What?"_ exclaimed Adrien, quite startled. "When was that?"

"At the very beginning. Remember the first time we fought Stoneheart in the stadium, and I forgot to purify the Akuma?" said Marinette, her face falling. "I'd tried so hard and all I'd done was make things worse. I went home, I took my earrings out, and I came this close to giving them to Alya."

"Wow," Adrien marveled. _"That_ would've been a very different experience... So, what stopped you? That really doesn't seem like you."

"When Stoneheart attacked again, I saw people in trouble, and I thought... I hated that I'd caused some of that by accident, but I'd hate _myself_ if I could help and I didn't because I was scared," she said, quietly. "So I summoned up whatever courage I had left and transformed, and there I was."

"You never told me about that," noted Adrien. "Told Chat, I mean. You told me that you weren't sure of yourself, but actually giving it up...?"

"It's not something that I'm very proud of," sighed Marinette. "And there was this sweetheart of a partner who gave me a pep talk soon after, and made me feel better about myself."

"And do you know what else he did?" Adrien continued, his smile returning. "He watched his partner leap up in front of everyone, tear apart Hawkmoth's talking bug-head thing, and announce to the world that Ladybug and Chat Noir were here to stay. And he said to himself, 'Whoever she is beneath that mask... I love that girl.'"

"Oh, you did _not,"_ Marinette blushed. "Not _that_ quickly."

"I did, too," said Adrien. "Ask Plagg... now that you can! I didn't, like, say it on television or anything... but you blew me away. I'd never seen anyone like you."

"I... guess I can believe that. I told you about how you opened _my_ eyes on the school steps, right after that," she smiled. "A handsome boy with sweet words and an umbrella who spun my whole world around, without even trying."

"If only we'd known, hmmm?" he laughed.

"I haven't minded taking the time to get to know you better," Marinette demurred. "And, um, getting up the courage to even talk to you..."

"I promise you, I wasn't going to bite!" Adrien chuckled. "I _did_ wonder why I made you nervous... and I so wanted you to be closer to me."

"I didn't know that then!" she mumbled. "I mean... I'd never given my heart away like that before. _Ever._ Facing off against giant stone golems and weather-witches and stuff seemed easy compared to being completely honest with you about it. Especially once I got to know you better and better, and I knew it wasn't just a surface crush."

"We're quite a pair, huh?" smiled Adrien. "You were nervous just being near me, while I was throwing myself at you as my other self and getting shot down."

"I did not _shoot you down!_ I let you down easy. Like, a bunch of times," Marinette giggled. "While I was busy turning down the boy of my dreams because I didn't have X-ray vision to see who was under that mask."

"So we were each other's partners... and first crushes... and first kisses... and first unrequited loves... and first boyfriend and girlfriend," Adrien declared. "It was a bumpy ride... but I'm right where I want to be."

"Me, too," Marinette grinned, nuzzling closer.

A tiny, fluttering presence drew their attention.

"Ahem! I'm sorry to interrupt..." Wayzz said to them. "Do you two need more time to talk things over?"

"Adrien, that's up to you," Marinette said, turning to him. "I can stay with you as long as you need me to."

"I'm okay to go inside if you are, Marinette," he answered. "I can't run and hide from everything, and this is where I have to start putting the pieces back together."

"If you're _sure,_ " Marinette insisted.

He stood up and reached for her hand, to assist her up as well. "I'm sure. We can do this... together."

* * *

Back upstairs, Nathalie checked on Gabriel, who was sitting quietly in a chair by the main entryway.

"No sign of Adrien yet?" she asked him.

"Did you really expect him to return tonight?" Gabriel sighed. "In truth, I do not. Why would he? He just discovered that his father is the villain of Paris and his girlfriend's arch-enemy. And if my hunch is true, his own arch-enemy as well."

"So you believe that he _is_ Chat Noir after all?" breathed Nathalie.

"The pieces seem to fit. I will see what Nooroo can tell me later, but at this moment I am just not in the mood for that. I have done enough damage already." Gabriel looked at Nathalie with undisguised sadness in his eyes. "I know that what I am doing, I am doing for him, doing for Emilie. But I do not know if he will ever fully understand that, much less forgive me."

"It's hard to say," Nathalie ventured, quietly. "Once he _sees_ his mother, that might change so many things for him. There's no telling how he may react."

"Perhaps. But for tonight, I know that he is in safe hands. Ladybug will not harm him, obviously; he could not be in better company, but I will not allow them to go far. I have their full attention right now and I intend to keep it. We will resolve this affair - and Emilie - once and for all."

He slumped down, despondent. "And _then,_ win or lose, we will see if he will hate me for the rest of my life."

* * *

The look on Master Fu's face was solemn as they regathered around the table.

"Do I even want to know?" asked Adrien, as Plagg returned to his side.

"I will prepare you with this first, Adrien... _I_ do not know. I am only slightly less blind than you in this matter," Fu intoned. "But I can explain where I believe that we stand."

Marinette took hold of Adrien's hand again, as Fu began.

"Will the ritual work, as Hawkmoth described it? ...Possibly. I will concede that his logic seems fundamentally sound. His method gives as strong a chance as anything I can think of to remove his wife's malady with minimal side effects," he said. "Now... minimal does not mean zero. We are dealing with mystical forces here that treat human beings like playthings."

"And he's not just talking about us Kwamis," Plagg noted, getting a dirty look from Tikki.

"It could go exactly as planned and leave all three of you perfectly healthy. It could go perfectly and still drain one of your life forces to heal another, and then you may find that the damage is not repairable, or that recovery may take considerable time and effort. Think of this sort of like a kidney transplant. You are weakening and endangering yourself to heal another, and leaving yourself vulnerable to damage or accident. This is not minor mystical surgery; this is a hundred times more volatile."

"I assumed as much," Marinette clarified. "We've been keeping the Wish away from him for good reasons. As far as the centering of the effect on the caster... is that likely to work?"

"That much is likely," Fu nodded. "The Wish is most dangerous when left open-ended. 'Give me a million Euros' wouldn't just create it out of thin air; it might change history to put valuable investments over time in your name, or it might rob a bank, drop the money here and leave your student ID card in the vault. The more specific you can be about its effects, the better, and intentionally drawing the backlash onto yourself should help keep it away from others. It _is_ still dangerous, of course... just somewhat less so."

"Good. That's one of my biggest worries, that we'd be ruining someone else's life without knowing it, and have no idea how to try to fix that," sighed Marinette.

"So, the 'can we' part is relatively settled. It is the 'should we' part that troubles me most, on many levels," grumbled Fu, with a frown. "The man's scheme is fiendish in its elegance, because it is based around several truths. The emotional connection between you and your mother, Adrien, _and_ between you and Marinette _does_ greatly enhance the probability of success. I do not know that anyone else could take either of your places in this. But my first instinct remains to forbid it, regardless."

He rubbed his head, absently. "Neither of you were chosen to wield a Miraculous totally by chance... but there was a degree of letting fate work as it will, as well. Each of you crossed my path at just the right time and showed me your potential for goodness, without knowing it. You have both surpassed my wildest expectations since we first met. To put it another way, I have never considered either of you disposable... but you have proven yourselves completely irreplaceable."

"I am fearful of the consequences of failure. I am as fearful of a partial success," Fu continued. "If one of you were wounded, or crippled, or killed because I allowed this Wish to take place, I would never forgive myself for it. The mental toll on the two of you would be unimaginable, as well, and on your families..."

"And yet..." he said, as Adrien grew paler and Marinette squeezed his hand gently, "if not you, whom else? I would assume the risk of the Wish myself, but I am an old man with a frail body. It would likely tear me to shreds and doom the ritual to failure. You two are young, passionate, brave, and attuned to each other in so many ways. And I see the upsides if all were to go well; the end of Hawkmoth's reign of terror, a well-deserved reunion and a better life for you, Adrien... and the freeing of a trapped soul who might otherwise wait for eternity. Not small things... a dangerous risk, but a stitch that might save nine in time."

"So I cannot say 'yes' or 'no' with any authority here," Fu sighed. "Not yet, at least. Should you choose to participate, I must be involved in preparing you for it; there is much to be done, to protect both of you and the Miraculous, as well. But my role here is to provide you with all the facts, let you consider it with eyes wide open, and choose what path seems proper."

He placed his hands down on the table, satisfied with his explanation so far. "I would hear each of your thoughts on the matter. Adrien?"

* * *

Adrien shuddered, his eyes closing tight.

"I am..." he began, haltingly. "I am trying _really hard_ not to be selfish about this. But no matter which way I turn, I feel like I am."

"No one is judging you here, Adrien," Master Fu assured him. "I only need you to be honest with us. Take your time."

"If I go along with this... I am risking lives, including Marinette's... _especially_ Marinette's... for my own gain," he whimpered. "I know that it's not _just_ for myself. Marinette is already in danger, her family is in danger, all our friends are in danger... and I want to do anything I can to stop that. My mother... _my mother_ might never come out of how she is now if we don't do this. I can't just leave her like that, but... I know that I can't let Marinette put her very life on the line to try to reverse it."

"That's not your choice to make, Adrien," Marinette told him, quietly. "That's mine."

"I'm... I'm begging you not to... but part of me wants to beg you _to do_ this. And I hate that part so much," Adrien replied, tearing up again.

"There is no clear path for us here," Master Fu noted. "There are no easy choices."

"Actually... I disagree with that," said Marinette.

She sat up in her chair, letting the words out before she could convince herself not to.

"I didn't ask to become Ladybug; it just sort of happened. It wasn't a responsibility that I wanted, or felt like I was capable of, but I've done it just the same. And as long as I have this power, and I can use it to help others... I _need_ to do that," Marinette explained. "So, now, I can do one thing and try to save someone's life. I can help put _your_ life back together, Adrien. I can protect my family from a villain... or at least try to. Master, we need to talk about what we need to do about that once things are resolved... But I can try to protect _millions_ in Paris from being in danger, by taking away the reason for Hawkmoth to act."

"...It's putting a lot of faith in Gabriel Agreste to hold to his word and to do the right thing if this works. I don't know how much faith I have in that, honestly. But if I can make a difference in so many lives... it's an easy choice for me. It's something that I _have to do_. No matter what the risk."

"...Adrien?" Master Fu asked in response.

Adrien was silent for a long moment.

"If this has to happen... I have to help you in every way that I can," he sputtered. "Master, what can I do to protect her in this?"

"I will meditate on that tonight. I have much more to consider. I would meet with you tomorrow... but not here," Master Fu said. "I do not want you to lead Hawkmoth to my door. Marinette, you have my phone number; I will trust you to get Adrien to a safe place tonight, and then figure out somewhere for us to meet tomorrow in secret. I will make my own way there."

"Understood," Marinette nodded. "Adrien... can I get you to text someone?"

"Of course," Adrien said. "Whom did you have in mind?"

* * *

Sitting in his bedroom, Kim stared at his open window nervously. It wasn't that he had any problem helping out a friend, but something about the situation just seemed... awfully unusual to him, starting with the text messages he'd received.

 **[Adrien]** **Hey... can I ask a big favor of you?**

 **[Kim] Yeah, probably. What do you want me to do?**

 **[Adrien] My father and I are going through some things right now. I was wondering, could I crash with you tonight?**

 **[Kim] What, you mean sleeping over?**

 **[Adrien] I'll be quiet as a mouse and gone in the morning. You can introduce me to your parents or keep it our secret, either way is fine.**

 **[Kim] ...**

 **[Kim] Yeah, I can do that. I don't have a spare bed in my room...**

 **[Adrien] I'm not fussy. A space on the floor and something soft to roll under my head is plenty, honest. I just need a place to sleep.**

 **[Kim] That I can do. How are you getting over here?**

 **[Adrien] Just leave a window open. I've got a ride.**

 _He's got a ride?_ wondered Kim. _Leave my window open?_ _My room's on the second floor._ _Is he hitching a ride with bats or something?_

Kim did some minor tidying up while he waited, arranging a pillow and a blanket on the floor, wondering all the while if this was some kind of prank to get back at him for teasing him about -

"Hello!" a soft voice called from the window, trying to be quiet. "I hear that this is your delivery entrance?"

* * *

Kim stood slack-jawed, watching Ladybug and Adrien speaking quietly in his - _Ladybug is in my ROOM! LADYBUG brought Adrien to my HOUSE! This is really happening!_

"Okay, tomorrow we'll do it like we planned, right? I'll scout out somewhere to meet, I'll text you and you-know-who, and we'll figure this whole thing out," Ladybug told Adrien.

"Absolutely. I'll be fine here, I promise. I can't imagine Father would ever think to look for me here," Adrien assured her.

Ladybug turned towards Kim. "I can't thank you enough for this, Kim!" she smiled. "I can't give you all the details - there are some secret things going on, hero stuff, you know? - but knowing that Adrien is safe tonight will be a huge load off of my mind."

"Y-yeah! I'm... uh, happy to help, Ladybug," Kim stammered. "Anything for a friend."

"I owe you one for this," Adrien added. "I won't be any trouble, and I can make my own way out in the morning."

"Will she, er, uh... Ladybug, will you be picking him up then?" asked Kim.

"Oh, I think he'll manage," she grinned. "He'll call me if he needs me, though."

"Adrien... has your _number?"_

Ladybug suppressed a giggle at the look on Kim's face. "Oh, yeah, he does! He's a good friend of mine. We hang out sometimes," she told him, with an innocent smile. "So take good care of him for me, okay?"

She winked at Adrien, then stepped over to him and pecked him lightly on the cheek. "Good night, honey," she told him. "Text me tonight?"

"I promise," Adrien smiled.

Ladybug gave him one more lingering gaze, then darted out the window.

Adrien watched her go, then turned to Kim, who was staring hard at him. "Teach me your ways," Kim half-whispered.

"We really are just friends," Adrien tried to explain. "She knows that Marinette and I are together, that was just a friendly kiss..."

"Please," Kim begged.

"Kim, you _have_ a girlfriend, don't you? Ondine?" said Adrien, sensing the inevitable.

" _Teach me your WAYS, Adrien!"_ repeated Kim, with increased intensity. "Yeah, I'm super-happy with Ondine, but... this is beyond that! I take back _everything I ever said_ about your aiming high! You have game like no one else has even _dreamed_ of! Posterity needs your lessons!"

Adrien considered how to possibly begin to explain... then shrugged.

"I have my moments," he smiled.

* * *

On her way home, Ladybug took a detour to the roof of Francoise Dupont High School, where she collapsed. "Spots off," she gasped.

Tikki rushed to her side. "Marinette... I'm here for you, okay?" she said, nervously. "I'm here to talk it out, if you need to. As long as it takes."

"T-Tikki... thank you," Marinette replied, with a weak smile. "I'm not mad at you, I promise. I... get it now, about Adrien, about why you couldn't tell me about him."

"I literally _couldn't_. But now there's so much more that I _can_ talk about," Tikki smiled. "You had to break through on your own first."

"You... had no idea about Hawkmoth before this week?" asked Marinette. "I'm just asking."

"We did not. Plagg lived in his _house_ and didn't know. He covered his tracks rather well," confirmed Tikki. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Marinette."

Marinette covered her eyes, trying to hold her emotions in. "I am going to fix this, Tikki," she said, flatly.

"Marinette... I need you to think very hard about this. _Please?"_ Tikki asked. _"You_ are not someone this world can afford to lose."

"I've been thinking. I'm still thinking," parried Marinette. "I'm trying to figure out so many things. And the one thing that I _hadn't_ tried to figure out just fell right into my lap."

She paused. "And if Master Fu's okay with my knowing it, and you're okay with it... and I _can't believe_ that you're okay with it," she added with a light giggle, "at least that much of my world makes sense now."

"Are _you_ okay with it? I mean, it's Adrien, so of course you are... but Chat Noir being your boyfriend, you don't feel funny about that?" wondered Tikki. "I'm not saying that you _should;_ I'm just curious."

"Oh, I'll be keeping an eye on him, don't worry. Pun limits will be enforced," Marinette grinned. "But it... it's been just waiting to happen, you know? I was fending off Adrien because I was in love with Adrien. He was too head over heels for me to notice me that way. But we know so much more about each other than we thought we did! And that's got to be a good foundation for what comes next."

"I've always had a soft spot for Chat. You know that, Tikki," she sighed. "He could get to me, even when I didn't want him to. And now I know why! So, yeah, I'm fine with Adrien being Chat Noir... as I add that to the list of Sentences I'd Never Imagined That I'd Ever Say... and I may not have to worry about us being costumed after this is over."

"If you mean Master Fu taking the Miraculous back... I don't know that he'd do that. You two do so much good for Paris that I can't imagine he wouldn't want that to continue!" Tikki assured her. "And... he knows just how much I'd miss you."

"And I'd miss you, Tikki. You're the sweetest," Marinette smiled. "And I have no intention of not being here the _other_ way, either! If we do this Wish, we are going to do it right."

"You can do everything perfectly and there's still a big risk," insisted Tikki. "The magic is _extremely_ dangerous, and when it's happening, Master Fu won't be there to guide you."

"I didn't expect that he would be. The less that Hawkmoth knows about the Guardian, or that there even is one, the better!" agreed Marinette. "So I'll be up all night worrying about what could happen when I try... and what'll happen to Adrien when he sees his mother... and when and if we can bring her back... and what to do about Hawkmoth afterwards... and what I can tell my _parents_ about what I'm doing, if anything at all..."

Tikki shuddered. "I'm hoping that I'll open my eyes and this evening will be a terrible dream," she said.

"Do Kwamis dream, Tikki?" wondered Marinette.

"No. Which is the hardest part of that."

Despite herself, Marinette smiled for a moment. "I have all of those worries... but I've got one more impossible thing that I need to do first."

"What's that?" Tikki asked.

"Keeping a straight face in a few minutes, when Mom and Dad ask me how my big date went," she said...

* * *

Next time:

* "Maybe they ran off to get married. I sure hope so!"

* Midnight messaging.

* Making decisions, making promises, making room for an ace up the sleeve...

* "Somehow, I am not surprised by this."

* "I'm... I _can't_ but I _have to_."

* "This is the biggest favor I can ever ask." "That's hard to believe, after..."

* "It is time."

* And more!


	22. All Players to Their Places

Someone To Watch Over Me, Chapter 22: All Players to Their Places

* * *

Still sitting on her school's rooftop, Marinette gathered her remaining will, preparing to travel the last block and return home... but something else nagged at her and kept her motionless for the moment.

"Tikki..." she ventured, quietly, holding back her tears. "I need your complete honesty on a couple of things. Before I say... certain things that can't be taken back."

Tikki looked nervous, but replied, "I promise."

" _Are my parents in danger tonight_?"

She watched Tikki's tiny face for cues as she continued. "Hawkmoth knows that I'm Ladybug. He knows where I live. He knows precisely where to hit me where it will hurt the most, and he threatened as much if I don't cooperate. Am I going to go to bed tonight and find Akumas storming my _house?"_

Tikki thought hard. "I... don't think so, Marinette," she said. "I can't speak for him, obviously... but he really does need your help to restore his wife, and I think he knows that force isn't the best way to get it. He doesn't know whether or not you'll participate voluntarily yet, and he did sound like he would much rather just _do_ this with you than use Akumas to compel you. He knows that you have leverage over him, too, from knowing his secret. And he knows that hurting you hurts Adrien."

"Now, I'm not going to say that they're safe _forever,_ if you refuse to help him," Tikki warned her. "And that is something that you and Master Fu will need to talk about. But I think that tonight would be too soon for him to take any kind of aggressive action."

"All right," conceded Marinette. "That alone will help me get to sleep tonight. I think that I agree with you there, but I wanted to hear it from you. But there's a bigger issue there..."

"I know there is," Tikki agreed.

"If they're safe tonight... I'm not going to expose everything and worry them tonight. But I can't..." Marinette's voice got choked up. "...For all I know, I might leave the house tomorrow or the next day and get magically whammied by this Wish and _never come back!_ Or be badly hurt. Or no longer be the girl that they know and love. And I don't want to... just _vanish_ on them, Tikki! They deserve so much better than that. But would telling them who I am, who've I've been, what I might be about to do, just worry them _MORE?"_

"They'll try to stop me. I know they would. I would, if I were in their shoes," she worried.

Tikki frowned. " _I'm_ still trying to stop you, if I'm being completely honest."

* * *

Kim sat on the edge of his bed, looking down at Adrien, lying on his side on the bedroom floor.

"Are you sure that's enough? It can't be that comfortable," Kim asked, looking concerned.

"No, I'm good," Adrien smiled back. "The blankets and a pillow are all I need. Your carpet underneath is nice and soft. I don't want to impose."

"I don't want to push too hard, Adrien, but..." Kim wondered, delicately. "...What kind of trouble are you in?"

Adrien paused. "There's something that we think is going on involving my father... and Hawkmoth," he allowed.

"Again?" marveled Kim. "Didn't he get Akumatized once already?"

"Uh-huh," Adrien said. "The Collector. This is... well, it's something different. Like Hawkmoth's trying to force people to do something specific. I can't really get into it."

"Ouch," Kim replied.

"You can say that again," moped Adrien.

"Is there anything that I can do... that the rest of us at school can do?" wondered Kim. "You're one of us, you know that, right? We'll have your back if we can help."

"I don't think so, but it's nice of you to offer," said Adrien. "Ladybug and Chat Noir will do what they can, of course."

"It's good to have friends in high places, hmmm?" smiled Kim, pointing a thumb at his recently-opened bedroom window and grinning at the thought of who'd come through it.

"Without a doubt," Adrien smiled back, trying to make it look authentic. "I just hope that they'll be enough."

* * *

"You still want to stop me?" Marinette sniffled. "Knowing everything that's at stake here?"

"Marinette... do you know what triage is? Like, what they do in an emergency room?" Tikki asked her.

"I think so," replied Marinette. "They take whoever comes in and assess them, figuring out how much danger each is in, so they can attend to the more serious cases first. So they can do the most good possible."

"That's what I'm trying to do now," said Tikki. "I'm weighing this situation against everything else I know. And I understand how hard all of this is on Adrien, okay? His whole life has gone upside-down in a matter of hours. And I'm being honest when I say that _I_ _don't know_ how we're going to get him out of this in one piece."

"But then there's you," Tikki continued. "You are the finest Ladybug I have ever known - and that Master Fu has ever known. You have so much potential that it scares me sometimes, and I don't _just_ mean as Ladybug. You might have decades ahead of you, protecting Paris from whatever threatens it, protecting the whole world... perhaps becoming a Guardian yourself one day, when Master Fu is ready to step down. A force for good in this world like it hasn't known in centuries."

"Or you could decide to go another way, and say 'I don't want to do this any more' someday and pass it on to someone else who's deserving. Devote yourself to your career, to your family, to world peace... whatever you aim for, I'm sure that you will reach. And that would be fine, too."

"Or..." whispered Tikki, becoming visibly emotional herself, "I could have only hours left by your side. I have horrible visions of you lying dead on their floor... or preserved in a capsule, like Emilie is... or crippled in any number of ways! _Or_ wracked with guilt, no matter how much I tell you that you did everything right, if you do this and it _doesn't_ work, or if Adrien or Emilie suffer because of it. You'll never believe me saying that it wasn't your fault somehow."

"Or even if it _does_ work _,"_ she added, ignoring the protest rising on Marinette's face, "it is intensely draining for all involved. Imagine the Wish cast, and you're unconscious on the floor... Adrien is under Hawkmoth's control, and Hawkmoth can just step forward and take your Miraculous, and the world after that if he wishes. That's... the biggest risk I can imagine, Marinette, and I'm weighing that against helping one person - no matter how good that person is, no matter how amazing a partner he has been, no matter how much he deserves all the help and love you can give him."

Marinette was silent for a moment.

* * *

"If you don't mind, I think I'm about ready to get some sleep..." Kim said. "If you need to talk about anything, I am here, okay? Otherwise, the bathroom's down the hall, first door on your right..."

"I appreciate that, Kim. I just... need to think about some things. Snap the light off if you want, I won't mind at all," said Adrien. "Good night!"

He did so... and after about ten minutes, Adrien heard light snoring coming from Kim's bed.

 _I wish I could just... unload my problems on him,_ Adrien thought. _But he doesn't deserve that. He's being nice enough just letting me stay here tonight._

The light from Kim's clock was among the only dim illumination in the room. Adrien rolled himself away from it, wrapping up in his blankets, staring at his phone and willing it to light up, to let him know that Marinette had finished talking with her parents and he could reach out to her again.

 _Until then... since Plagg can't really say anything while I'm here in front of Kim... I'm alone._

 _Which is something that I guess I'd better get used to._

The horrors of the evening - his father's unmasking, his mother's current state and location, the peril Marinette now faces, the unthinkable risk he still wanted to talk her out of - piled up in his brain. With nothing else around to distract him, each grew exponentially in his mind's eye.

 _The one good thing... is that with my life having gone the way it has since my mother's accident..._

 _...I know how to cry silently._

* * *

"I hear what you're saying, Tikki," Marinette declared. "I'm aware of just how dangerous this is. Master Fu emphasized all of that-"

"Master Fu has never lost a Ladybug before," interrupted Tikki, the words bursting out of her, her tone indicating that "lost" didn't involve being found again.

"And you have?" asked Marinette, in a hushed voice.

"Three times."

A moment passed.

"Two in battle. One from magical complications. And I am in _no hurry_ for a fourth."

"Do you think that _I am_?" asked Marinette.

"I can't handle the thought that you are," blurted Tikki. "That there's no alternative to risking it all. That we can't... I don't know... bring Hawkmoth to justice, patch up Adrien's world as best we can, give him all the support that's possible, and not leave your life and health up to chance?"

Marinette just stared at her.

" _Yes,_ I'm being selfish. And _no_ , I'm not!" Tikki wailed. "Because _you_ are unique, Marinette! There could be another Ladybug someday, if something happened to you and one was needed. But you are someone that... this world needs far more of. And it's killing me inside that this situation that's putting you at risk is _my fault._ "

"What are you talking about, Tikki?" boggled Marinette. "You didn't give Gabriel the Moth Miraculous. You didn't make him misuse it. None of this is your fault."

"I'm the one who got caught," managed Tikki. "I'm the one who insisted that Plagg should go searching the house. I'm the one who brought the flashlight tonight and had to go snooping in person. Nooroo catching us, his knowing that Hawkmoth had been caught, giving away your identity, Marinette! Those are on my shoulders."

"Now, listen to me, okay?" directed Marinette... and, somehow, it seemed as if their balance of power had shifted. "Master Fu didn't come looking for me in particular to be his new Ladybug. It just sort of... happened, and I've done my best ever since. And sometimes that best has been good enough. Sometimes I don't think that it has. I'm happy that you're proud of me, that you see all this potential in me, but that's also why _I need to do this,_ Tikki!"

"Every time that there's an Akuma out there, people are in danger. Not just me, not just Adrien, but sometimes millions of people all over Paris! And that responsibility scares the _heck_ out of me whenever I stop to think about it. But I'm still suiting up, I'm still out there doing it, because I have the power to do it. And right now... I can _stop_ those attacks, all the Akuma craziness. I can remove the reason for there to even _be_ a Hawkmoth. I can try to save someone's life. I can try to save the life that my partner knows... and make it better for him... and give him some kind of closure with his father, because _yes_ , his father's going away for what he's done... _and_ repay him for all these months he's been by my side, protecting me, watching over _me_."

Marinette stammered, "I don't know if it's going to work or not, or what may happen even if it does. If _you_ don't know, how could I? I am _scared out of my mind_. But I _have to try_ because I'm the one person who can. I can't change what's happened... but maybe I can change what comes next."

Her face was riveted onto Tikki's, with an intensity that Tikki knew that even she couldn't win against. "Something _good_ has to come out of all of this. I have to think of what's best for everyone... not what's best just for me," she insisted.

"And that's why you're a perfect Ladybug, and you get better at it every day. Darn it," Tikki sniffled.

"C'mere." Marinette motioned for Tikki to come in for a hug, and she nuzzled in tightly. "We'll talk more about this tonight, okay? But I need to get home before Dad sends out a search party."

At Tikki's gentle nod, Marinette whispered, "Spots on," and hopped down off the rooftop.

* * *

Adrien's eyes welled with tears that he was not, _not, NOT_ going to let out. Not here, not now. Not in someone else's bedroom, not in front of Kim, not when he felt like if he started he would never, ever stop.

 _Part of me wants to climb out that window, transform and storm my house right now. To tear it apart and find my mother. To tear my FATHER apart for all he has done._

 _But that would be really, really stupid of me, wouldn't it?_ Adrien reasoned. _I'm amazed that an Akuma isn't hovering over me right now. Father dearest hasn't hesitated to send one my way before this, has he? TWICE? If I just... show up... I'd be the easiest pickings in the world for Hawkmoth._

 _For FATHER._

 _And I can't get Mother back without his powers, or at least it didn't sound like we had any other ideas. So... he and I will have to..._

 _...We'll see how this goes. If Mother is restored, and Marinette is okay, and he holds to his word... we're still going to have a reckoning. I swear on my life on that._

 _If he goes back on any of that... or if Marinette is hurt, or worse... I will rip him apart with my bare hands! He'd better not even THINK about it._

 _Though... from the way that Marinette described him... it doesn't sound much like he is thinking that. Not yet._

 _And... it kills me to think it... but I kind of... see where he came from in some of this._

 _He wants Mother back as much as I do. And if this is the only way for us to get her back..._

 _Would I have tormented a city, threatened lives, become a freakin' TERRORIST to save my mother?_

 _I like to think that I wouldn't have. That I would have chosen a better way. That I could've sucked it up and accepted things as they were for the sake of others. But I... I haven't walked in those shoes. I haven't had the power to change things._

 _And now..._ he thought, staring at the ring on his finger, _apparently I do. With Father's help and with Ladybug's help._

 _And all I have to do..._

Adrien shuddered, trying to hold it all in, his breathing becoming ragged.

 _...is surrender to my father, allow him to transform me in one of his twisted games, and put the girl I love in mortal danger. Something that she's volunteering to do. That's all, right? Nothing much... just choosing who I love more, my Maribug or my m-mother..._

A tiny rustle by his chest got his attention, just before he was about to lose it. He looked down and saw Plagg looking up at him, anxiously...

"Hey," Plagg whispered. "I had to make sure that the big galoot was all the way asleep. I'm here for you, okay? You're not alone, Adrien. You're never _going to be_ alone."

Adrien swallowed hard, gathering his emotions once again... then pulled Plagg into a long, silent hug.

* * *

"There's my girl!" boomed Tom, as he watched his daughter enter through the back door. "How was the big night?"

"Exciting," Marinette replied, an artificial smile pasted onto her face. "It definitely had its moments."

Sabine gestured for her to come join the two of them in the living room. "Tell us all about it! What was Mr. Agreste like?"

"Well..." Marinette began, forcing her mind into an analytical mode, rehearsing and measuring every sentence before she spoke it. "He's... more than a little scary, I have to say, but he did his best to be welcoming. He _loved_ my dress, for starters! He even told me that if I was older, my alterations would be enough to get me in the door for an internship with Agreste Fashion."

"Wow!" Sabine marveled. "No small praise!"

Marinette's parents smiled happily as she went through _most_ of the details of the evening, the parts before the world as she knew it had collapsed. Her brain was screaming at her to make an excuse, to get upstairs and text Adrien and make sure that he was all right... but she also had the sobering thought that these might be some of the last moments she'd spend with her parents like this.

Which was a different kind of screaming inside her head.

* * *

Plagg struggled with his own emotions, holding on for the sake of Adrien, who was clearly hanging on by a thread.

"Listen, Adrien... I can't even pretend to say 'Everything's gonna be all right,' right?" he ventured. "Because I just don't know. The plan that your father came up with and that Master Fu kinda-sorta okayed... it's got a lot of moving parts. It could go real bad, real fast, and I can't make promises about it. I need you to understand that."

"I d-do," Adrien whispered. "And if something does go wrong, I'll never blame you."

"But there's something else you need to know. You know how I'm the Kwami of Destruction, I'm all about tearing things down and blowing them up and chaos, right?" continued Plagg. "That's my nature. But it represents something else, too, and it's something I want you to always have."

At Adrien's silent nod, Plagg said, "...Freedom."

"I've encouraged you so many times to break the rules, to sneak out, to do what feels right, to express yourself the way you need to," Plagg added. "Not just because it was fun, but because you really needed to grow like that. To experience more of life than your bedroom walls and your photo shoots. And as long as you have me by your side... well... you're not going to get stuck in some foster home, or some farmhouse in America, or anywhere that you don't want to be. No walls can contain you. No chains can hold you. You have no _limits_."

"You sound like you want me to become a pirate," Adrien chuckled, lightly. "The Scourge of the Seine."

"Not... _quite_ that far. Though that Couffaine lady might just take you up on that, if you asked her right," Plagg noted. "But I'm saying, you have to be feeling completely trapped right now, just buried under the weight of everything you've known falling apart. And I can't fix some of that... though I can try to help... but you'll have my help as long as you need it. You'll have _me_. No matter what."

"Even if Master Fu wants you back?" marveled Adrien.

"If it comes to that... that's your decision. But we've been through too much together for me to go quietly."

"Let's cross that bridge when we get to it, okay?" Adrien whispered. "But thank you, so much. I needed that. I love you, buddy."

"Ahhh," Plagg mumbled, nervously. "You're one of a kind, kid. And your lady should be messaging you soon, I'm sure."

* * *

"Hey, I have lots more to say, but..." mumbled Marinette, trying not to seem overanxious.

"...But your honey's waiting to hear from you, right?" Tom grinned. "Go, get that dress hung up and check in with him. We'll be here when you're ready."

Gratefully, Marinette dashed up to her room, carrying her heels in one hand.

Sabine watched her go... then turned back to Tom. "You... sensed it, right?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah. Something's bothering her," Tom agreed. "I think the night went well for the most part, but something's got her unsettled, too."

"I wonder what it is?" mused Sabine. "I don't think it's the relationship... she sparkled every time she said Adrien's name. So I'm guessing it's something to do with his father."

"Hard to imagine," he rumbled. "He's only, what, a millionaire who could make or break her future career even if she's _not_ dating his son? She said he was complimentary of her and her dress, but meeting him has to have her a bit rattled."

"I... hope so," Sabine replied. "I mean, I don't _hope_ that she's nervous... just that that's all it is. I remember the first time I met _your_ parents..."

"Oh, be serious. My mother _loved_ you at first sight," said Tom, rolling his eyes.

"Your father, not so much," she retorted. "Not then, and I remember how shaky I was the first few times you brought me home."

"Well... if something is worse than that, she'll talk to us about it, right? She's usually good about that," Tom reasoned.

"Yeah. We'll see what she decides to tell us."

* * *

"Plagg... you said you're not sure about this plan," Adrien mumbled. "How wrong has it gone in the past, trying things like this?"

"Like I said before... it's gone okay, and it's gone really, really bad. It's chaos," explained Plagg. "But usually, when it's gone bad, it's because people were careless or didn't know what they were doing. Master Fu will do _everything he can_ to prepare Marinette, I'm sure. She's smart, she pays attention, she'll do what she can to protect herself."

"No, she won't. She'll do what she can to fix my mother and _then_ to protect herself," moped Adrien. "That's who she is."

"I... can't really argue with that," Plagg conceded.

A vibration from Adrien's phone pulled his attention aside abruptly.

* * *

 **[Marinette] I'm back!**

 **[Adrien] How did it go?**

 **[Marinette] I think I covered for things pretty well. I did have a lot of good stories to tell, after all, before...**

 **[Adrien] ...Before.**

 **[Marinette] How are you doing? Is Kim treating you okay?**

 **[Adrien] He snores. Other than that, yeah, he's been great.**

 **[Adrien] He wants me to teach him and the other guys my Secrets of Seduction.**

 **[Marinette] ...WHAT?**

 **[Adrien] Something about being the only boy in Paris that Ladybug makes eyes at.**

 **[Marinette] Hah!**

 **[Marinette] It's not like he's _wrong_ there...**

 **[Adrien] He'd better not be. :)**

 **[Marinette] As if you could doubt that now.**

 **[Adrien] Of course not. You're the one person I have left that I can count on.**

 **[Marinette] ...**

 **[Marinette] You have more than me on your side, and you know it. But I won't argue that too much tonight.**

 **[Marinette] What can I do to help you deal tonight? Other than come back and climb through that window again.**

 **[Marinette] Which I _really really_ want to do but I can only imagine Kim's face if I did.**

 **[Adrien] Talk me out of doing something stupid.**

 **[Marinette] ...What is that?**

 **[Adrien] Lots of things. Running home and confronting my dad. Dragging him off to jail myself. Running away together with you.**

 **[Adrien] Letting you risk your life.**

 **[Marinette] That's not your choice! We've been over that.**

 **[Adrien] It can be! You can't do the Wish without my ring. I could just... disappear with it.**

 **[Marinette] And where would that leave Paris? And your mother? And you and me?**

 **[Adrien] ...**

 **[Marinette] You ARE going to work with me on this, right? Meet with Master Fu tomorrow and work out a plan?**

 **[Adrien] ...**

 **[Adrien] I'm... I CAN'T but I HAVE TO.**

 **[Marinette] WE have to. I really can't do this without you, and not just for your ring.**

 **[Marinette] I need my partner, my friend, my dearest one... I need YOU.**

 **[Adrien] ...**

 **[Adrien] I can't say no to that, and you know it. That's playing dirty.**

 **[Marinette] Good. Now I just need to keep you thinking about other things.**

 **[Marinette] That way you won't go spraypaint GABRIEL AGRESTE IS HAWKMOTH on the Louvre.**

 **[Adrien] That is... quite an idea.**

 **[Marinette] Don't make me come over there.**

 **[Adrien] That's exactly what I'm trying to make happen. :)**

* * *

The two of them swapped messages back and forth for another hour until exhaustion, both mental and physical, overwhelmed them both.

Marinette said "Good night" content that while Adrien had a long way to go... and so did she... tomorrow would be another day for each of them.

* * *

Morning finally arrived... and as much doubt as Adrien had that the sun would ever rise again in his world, it definitely did.

Kim's alarm went off, and he grumbled something unintelligible and groped for the snooze button. It took him a few moments to mentally process _Hey, I have a guest here._

"Hrmmmph," he yawned. "Hey, Adrien. Did you sleep... well?"

He blinked, rubbing his eyes gently, when he found Adrien gone from his floor. The pillow and blankets were still there, along with a piece of paper on top of them. Slowly, Kim ambled out of bed, collected it and read:

 **Kim,**

 **Thank you so much for the place to crash tonight. It was a huge favor**

 **at just the right time. I don't want to be any more of a bother, and I**

 **have a few things I need to take care of before I head home... so I'm**

 **taking off. I just didn't want you to worry when you found I wasn't here.**

 **I'll see you at school sometime soon.**

 **\- Adrien**

 _Huh_ , Kim thought. _I guess that Ladybug... came and picked him up? Cool._

 _Man, I can't wait to tell the guys how..._

 **P.S. Keep this between us for now, okay?**

 _Awww..._

* * *

Marinette did her best to whirl through her own morning, presenting herself as a Girl who is Totally Happy and In Love and Definitely Not About to Do Anything Dangerous or Stupid. Much to her relief, her parents seemed to be on board with that program.

"Adrien's not meeting you today?" wondered Sabine, watching Marinette dash through the bakery and head for the front door.

"Oh? Oh! Oh, no, he's not," Marinette stammered, smiling. "He has something going on with his father that he's working out... so I'm meeting him there today."

"Sounds good. Tell him we said 'Hi!'" her mother beamed.

Marinette was not terribly surprised to find Adrien's bodyguard sitting in the driver's seat of his usual sedan, watching the front door of the bakery like a hawk. She nodded at Nathalie in the passenger seat as she strolled by, doing her best to look as nonchalant as any other schoolgirl on her way up the school's steps.

"Hey, girl!" Alya called to her, with a wave. "How did the big night go? We're dying to hear all about it!"

"Mostly good!" Marinette replied. "Can... I catch up with you later? I have something I need to do."

"Okay?" said Alya, looking a bit puzzled. "I'll see you in class!"

She watched Marinette dash down a hallway, in a direction away from both her home classroom and her locker... and kept watching for a while, increasingly curious why Marinette wasn't coming back.

* * *

As quickly as she'd entered the building, Marinette made her way to a rear entrance near the cafeteria and darted back outside again, away from prying eyes. _Sorry, Mom, but with what's about to happen, truancy is the least of my problems today,_ she reasoned.

Finding a secluded spot, she was about to transform and take off for the north side of Paris when her phone buzzed with a message.

 **[Mom]** **Is Adrien with you now?**

 **[Marinette] No... not yet. Why?**

 **[Mom] His father just called the bakery, wondering if we'd seen him.**

 **[Mom] He left a number for you to call him back...**

Marinette entered it into her contact list with some trepidation.

 **[Marinette] Let me get this straight. _Gabriel Agreste_ just left me his personal phone number?**

 **[Mom] It would seem so.**

 **[Mom] Honey... _is_ everything all right? You seemed like you were holding something back last night.**

Marinette paused, working out how to answer that.

 **[Marinette] Adrien and his father had a bit of a disagreement last night... NOT about me...**

 **[Marinette] I'll ask him about it when I see him.**

 **[Mom] All right. But check in with Mr. Agreste, okay?**

 **[Marinette] I will.**

She stared at her phone, leaving it out as she transformed, then headed for a much more private setting for her next conversation. _And, boy, am I looking forward to_ _THIS!_ she groaned...

* * *

Gabriel Agreste sat in his office, putting everything aside while waiting for Marinette's call. He'd told Nathalie to hold all business until he emerged, and after the previous night's festivities she wasn't in much of a mood to question him.

It didn't take long...

"Good morning, Marinette," he drawled. "Did you sleep well?"

"Pretty normally, Mr. Agreste," Marinette replied, with her guard up. "My mother told me that you wanted to speak with me."

"Indeed. I will not insult your intelligence - or mine - by pretending that we do not know what we know. You have more than earned that right," Gabriel said, carefully. "He did not join you on your way to school today, obviously. May I have your word that he is not in your home?"

"He is not in my house... or in Nino's, for that matter," answered Marinette, matter-of-factly. "So whatever you had in mind, you can call it off. He is somewhere safe and sound, and out of your reach for the moment."

"Somehow, I am not surprised by this," mused Gabriel. "Will you be returning him to me any time soon?"

 _"Why?"_

The question stung him. "Because he is my _son_. No matter what else I may be, no matter what else I have done, he is _loved_ by me. You did gather _that_ much from our little chat last night, did you not?" he snapped.

There was a pause.

"I... did," allowed Marinette. "What you told me, what you showed me... I won't lie and say that it didn't ring true, or that it didn't make a kind of sense to me. That... might be the best path forward for Adrien, if it can happen. I'm not sure that it can yet."

"I understand your dilemma. I do not envy you the choice that remains yours to make," Gabriel continued. "The fact that you are considering it _at all_ speaks volumes as to how true your feelings are for my son."

"Let's not go there right now, please?" Marinette asked him. "They definitely are, but you know where my first loyalty _has_ to be. I am considering many angles here."

"Have you spoken with your... mentor, I might call him? I believe the term is 'Guardian,' from what my own Kwami has told me."

Marinette closed her eyes. _I must be careful with this. Gabriel is very clever and can twist me all around with what he says, and I have so many secrets that I can't give away... beyond what he knows already!_

"You know very well that I can't confirm or deny that, Mr. Agreste. Getting Adrien to safety last night was my first priority, I'll say that much. But you can also guess that I will not move on this without their approval _and_ my partner's," she replied.

"I see. I will not probe more than I must," Gabriel smiled. "And I will not be sending my Gorilla to batter your front door down. He may visit the bakery on his own initiative, of course; he has a serious weakness for your cream puffs."

"As well he should," Marinette noted. "Best in town. But you didn't have me call you to talk about pastry."

"Indeed. That Adrien is safe, I fully expected. That you are still processing this, likewise. I needed to open this line of communication with you, and I have done so. But I would know two things before I hang up," he stated.

"Firstly... the longer Adrien stays away, the more questions will be raised. I have no intentions of being anything but his father until we reach a decision. My little friend will remain on vacation if yours does, you understand? So with that in mind... when may I see him again?"

"That..." Marinette swallowed hard. "That is up to him. I will tell him that he is missed by you when I see him."

"And I fear that you have just answered my second question. Marinette... what _does_ Adrien know about me now?"

* * *

Marinette's answer was as weighty as it was brief:

 _"...Enough."_

* * *

Homeroom was the usual combination of sleepy eyes, chatter and crosstalk. Alya spent some time preparing for class, but kept a watchful eye on the door. By the time that Ms. Bustier closed it and began her lesson, only two things were missing from the room... one next to her, and one next to Nino.

At the end of class, Nino turned around and saw the look on Alya's face. "Uh-oh," he mumbled.

"What do you mean, 'Uh-oh?'" she asked, as some of the other girls approached them.

"I mean, I know that look. Something's going on, isn't there?" Nino replied.

"I kind of think that there must be," surmised Alya. "I saw Marinette here this morning... but she didn't come to class. Adrien's not here, either, and it's the night after their big date at his house..."

"Maybe they ran off to get married. I sure hope so!" giggled Rose.

"That _proves_ Marinette isn't nearby. I didn't hear a scream or a thud from her hitting the floor," grinned Alya. "But, yeah, they're up to something. She didn't text any of us when she got home last night, did she?"

The other girls shook their heads. "Must be something juicy," smiled Juleka.

"I didn't hear from Adrien, either," Nino added. "Though if I do, I'll let everybody know."

From a short distance away, Kim listened in... but kept his mouth shut.

* * *

"You will explain _'Enough,'_ young woman," ordered Gabriel. "Immediately."

"If you thought I was going to let Adrien back into that house without knowing what it was that he was walking into... you're out of your mind," snapped Marinette. "He knows what I know. Who you are, and who and what you've been hiding."

Gabriel was silent, but he looked as if he was about to bite through his phone.

"And..." she added, in a quieter voice, "the _other_ part of what you told me. That much of this has been for him and for his mother's sake. That there are actions being considered that may make the best of what we all face now. That he needs to face you understanding not just what you've done, but why, and what may come of it."

"You have complicated things greatly, Marinette," Gabriel managed.

" _You_ have complicated things greatly. You can't even argue with me on that point," reasoned Marinette. "But I'm not trying to make Adrien's mind up for him. I don't know... if I can ever _like_ you again, Mr. Agreste. I really wanted to, I'll be honest, but then what happened... happened."

"But as much as I've cursed your name over the last year... _both_ your names, with how Adrien's described his home life at times... you're not an ogre. I know that, deep down. You're his father, and that's always going to be true, and that will always affect how Adrien thinks of you. But he deserves to know the whole truth so that he can respond honestly... and you two can find whatever way you can to start over, no matter what happens with Emilie."

"You are a presumptuous one, aren't you?" sighed Gabriel. "So sure that you know better than I do what is best for my own son."

"I think you've learned by now how much of a _thorn_ _in your side_ I can be, when I know that I'm doing the right thing," ventured Marinette. "And, yes, I _do_ think that I know Adrien very, very well. But I'm not rushing into this without a lot of thought and considering many perspectives, including yours. The fact that I'm talking to you right now... and not to INTERPOL... should tell you that," ventured Marinette.

"Point made... and accepted," Gabriel allowed. "This makeshift truce of ours will be interesting, if nothing else. When do you expect to have reached a decision?"

"I'll see Adrien today. Whether he wants to come home or not is up to him. As for the other part... I'll let you know. I have to talk things over with certain people."

"Do that. Remain in touch, please," said Gabriel. "And take good care of him for me."

"I will."

* * *

Gabriel hung up his phone and sat motionless for several seconds.

"And so it has come to this," he murmured. "Nooroo... come out, please."

The purple Kwami fluttered forth, tentatively.

"It appears that I may have one last job for you, Nooroo," Gabriel said, matter-of-factly. "The most important one of all. I trust that I will have your full cooperation in this?"

"Have I been able to give you less, however much that I've wanted to?" grumbled Nooroo. "But, yes, Master, you will. Because I need this to work as much as you do. If it doesn't... you will keep trying, and I will remain imprisoned."

Gabriel looked thoughtful. "I feel I must apologize, at least in part. You understand my ends, even if you loathe my means. But I have treated you as a tool, not as a companion, and that has been quite unfeeling of me. Believe it or not, I do not desire to treat you poorly."

"And yet you have done it, just the same," frowned Nooroo.

"We are preparing to do something a bit different, however..." Gabriel continued, breezing over Nooroo's discomfort. "Transforming and Akumatizing openly in front of witnesses. Ladybug and Chat Noir, no less. This calls for a certain amount of pre-planning on our part."

"Why? What... is it that you are thinking of trying?" Nooroo asked, with considerable trepidation.

"Some contingency plans. You may relax, Nooroo; I do not intend to disrupt Adrien's attempt at healing in any way. I would be the fool of fools to do so," Gabriel replied. "But I may need to act quickly, without time or freedom to explain what I want you to do. So, take some mental notes for me, please. The first code phrase that I have in mind..."

* * *

Chat Noir faced the morning sun atop a tall building on the west side of Paris, out of sight of the pedestrians far below.

He focused his thoughts inward, forcing himself to remain calm and immobile. The urge to leap forth and do... _something_ was overwhelming... but what, and to what end?

Confront his father? Do far worse than _that_ to his father? Tear his house apart until he found his mother's resting place? Scream until his throat went raw?

Leave himself wide open, at the mercy of his father's _claims_ of temporary nonaggression? Not smart. A very good way to find yourself face to face with a butterfly and under the control of a villain with very little left to lose. A man that he knew that he could never trust again. A father who no longer... well, he was still working on that part.

He had to wait.

 _Ladybug will have a plan; Ladybug always has a plan. Her, I can trust to help guide me through this mess._

 _Even if it's a plan that I hate._

 _That makes me want to do something... ANYTHING... to keep her from attempting it._

 _If only that something existed._

His phone buzzed at him, and he checked his incoming messages.

* * *

 **[Marinette] Looking for a meeting place right now. Any ideas on your end?**

He thought about that for a moment...

 **[Adrien] This could be tricky. We need somewhere completely private... but also somewhere that Master Fu can get to quickly.**

 **[Adrien] We can't pick 'halfway up the Eiffel Tower' this time.**

 **[Marinette] Where are you at now?**

 **[Adrien] Rooftop, tall building, across from the Crédit Mutuel branch, Avenue Victor Hugo.**

 **[Marinette] I'm on my way.**

A few minutes later, Ladybug landed alongside him and approached him slowly. "Hi," she breathed. "How are you doing?"

"Feeling like a dog's chewtoy," Chat replied. "My head is spinning and throbbing. Master Fu wasn't kidding about side effects of the herbs he used on me... but a little better now that you're here."

"Good." Her smile was genuine. "Any meeting places leaping out at you around here?"

"Well, as nice as this rooftop is, I doubt that's what he'd have in mind," he quipped. "But I've been watching that office building over there. Look at floors three and four."

Ladybug stared across the way to where Chat was pointing, several doors down from the closest intersection. "They're dark," she noted, "but the floors below and above them aren't."

"Those floors are spare office space, as far as I can tell. The lights have been off in both of those floors all morning. One of us could shimmy through a window and check it out, make sure that security guards don't come running, and if the coast is clear, pop a door open..."

"...And Master Fu could talk his way past reception, go up the elevator and just walk in. And if we don't make a lot of noise or turn on a bunch of lights, we shouldn't disturb anyone," smiled Ladybug. "Clever... even if it is breaking-and-entering."

"It is. It's not without some risk. Got a better idea?" asked Chat.

"Not really," she conceded. "Let's take a closer look."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, the pair had gone over the fourth floor top-to-bottom, and were reasonably satisfied.

"What do you think they make here?" Ladybug wondered.

"Looks like it's some kind of studio. Like, artwork and design work," mused Chat. "Low-tech stuff. Nothing here to steal that'd be worth much, so I'm not surprised that it's not covered in cameras. Think we can chance it?"

"We kind of have to. I'll run it by him, anyway."

She tapped at her phone...

 **[Marinette]** **We have a potential place to meet... it's nothing terribly fancy, but it's unoccupied right now. The address is...**

Quickly, she gave him the details of what they'd found and that they were pretty sure they wouldn't get caught there.

A response came:

 **[Mr. Turtle] That should do. If it is necessary today, we shall ask forgiveness, not permission.**

 **[Marinette] Worst case, we can say we're sorry and I can whisk you out of there in a hurry.**

 **[Mr. Turtle] I am on my way.**

"He's coming," Ladybug reported to Chat, a moment later.

"Did he say how long it would take him to get here?" wondered Chat.

"He did not," came a voice from the main hallway, "but he would not complain if you were to open the door for him."

* * *

The trio gathered in the central part of the floor, pulling comfortable chairs up to a meeting room table. They left the lights off to minimize risks of detection, but there was enough daylight filtering in to be manageable.

"How did you _do_ that?" marveled Chat.

"Do what?" said Fu, flatly.

"I've learned not to ask," Ladybug smiled. "Kind of like 'Hey, how did someone I'd never met get a little black box into my bedroom once?'"

Chat gave both of them a look that screamed out _Now that you mention it..._

"So now that we _are_ here... and we don't know how much time we'll have, undisturbed... Master, where do we stand?" she asked.

"If we are proceeding with this plan... I have a strategy in mind. But I must repeat that this is _not_ my decision to make; it is each of yours as to whether to move forward with this," intoned Master Fu. "You two have had a night to think this over. Ladybug, your thoughts?"

* * *

"I need to do this," Ladybug confirmed. "It's too much of an opportunity not to. We can repair the damage to Adrien's future as best we can, stop the threat of Hawkmoth and protect millions of people - including both our families."

She took a deep breath. "I'm scared of what might happen to any of us, of course; Tikki has reminded me over and over how risky this is. And I am... I am struggling hard with how to handle my parents. I can't just... I..."

"Breathe deeply, Ladybug. Take your time," counseled Fu.

"I don't want to just... _disappear_ if something goes wrong," Ladybug lamented. "But I also don't want to worry them more than I have to. If I go up to them and say 'Mom, Dad, I'm Ladybug and I'm about to go risk my life,' my father would either lock me in the basement or have a heart attack on the spot. Or both."

"Every time I go out as Ladybug... I'm doing the same thing, really. I never know if it'll be the time that some villain gets lucky and I get splattered, you know? But that's something that I at least have some control over." She looked over at Chat with a small smile. " _This_ guy over here, I worry about even more, because he seems to love taking all the punishment aimed at me."

"You protect Paris. I protect you so that you can protect Paris. Seems fair," Chat grinned.

"But this is the riskiest thing I'll have ever done, no matter how necessary I think it is," Ladybug concluded. "And I'm struggling with how to address that."

Master Fu took in Ladybug's concerns. "Chat Noir... how about you?" he asked, gently.

* * *

"I don't quite know what I'm going to do when I see my father again," Chat admitted. "I have a job to do, and I need to do it. I know that much. I'm not just going to... run up and Cataclysm him, as much as part of me wants to. But when I see him... when I see my _mother?"_

"I'm not going to figure this out quickly. It could be _years_ before I can really grasp all of this. I know that I'm still in shock," he said. "I feel numb, deep down. None of this feels completely real to me yet, you know? But seeing my father, my mother up close will really put it into perspective, and... well, I'm glad that I'll have company when it happens."

"You _know_ you will," Ladybug soothed.

"I don't like the idea of being under Hawkmoth's control, even if we both want the same thing for once. I don't like the risk of having both of our Miraculous right there in front of him. I _really_ don't like the idea of my Lady putting herself at risk," he sighed. "But, like Ladybug said... this all just makes too much _sense_ not to do. And if we don't... what happens then?"

"I c-can't just go home and pretend that my father's not Hawkmoth," Chat gasped. "That he's not hurting people. That he hasn't tried to hurt me, to hurt Marinette, to hurt whoever he thinks he needs to hurt to heal my mother. And that's if you take him at his word that that's all he wants to do with the Miraculous. So, I'm in... but only if we have plans in place to stop him _for sure_. One way or the other. Whether I do it, or Ladybug does it, or we send in all of the Miraculous twenty seconds after it's over... or we bring in every hero from every other country that we can reach... this isn't power that _he_ should have. Even if that means that my mother stays asleep. Even if I have to do... whatever it takes."

* * *

"I understand what you are saying, Adrien," Fu replied, carefully. "Though I cannot imagine the full impact of what this is like for you right now... and if I can help in any way, before or after, please reach out to me."

At Adrien's slow nod, he continued. "If we are to do this, and it sounds as if we are... I have my own concerns, of course. I agree completely that safety must be our first concern - both our own and the world's, protecting the Miraculous as best we can... but part of that is minimizing the number of people involved. The more who know about us and about your father's true nature, the more likely it is that all of this may spill completely out of control. So I will hold back on emptying the Miracle Box except as a last resort."

"I do feel that we ought to move swiftly, if we are to act. Right now, we are on our back foot... but so is Hawkmoth. We have an opportunity to mold this situation into how we wish it to proceed, or at least try. The longer that we wait, the more deviltry Hawkmoth may come up with," he mused.

"As for you, Ladybug..." Fu continued, turning her way, "what you choose to tell your parents, and how, is up to you. I will not prohibit you from coming clean with them - particularly since, whether or _not_ this succeeds, this might be the last time you are at risk like this as Ladybug! And do not take that the wrong way," he smiled. "Without the peril of Hawkmoth, whether or not you would wish to continue helping people, being a heroine of Paris... that is completely up to you. But we will not cross that particular bridge until we reach it safely."

"But if you wish to tell them, or to leave some message that they would find if something were to go wrong... I have no objections any more. It is only fair to you and to them."

"Thank you. I will give that a lot of thought," Ladybug said.

"I am considering my safeguards, in the meantime. Given that both Tikki and Plagg will be weakened once the Wish has been performed, there will be considerable risk involved no matter what, but I have some things in mind to even our odds a bit. Adrien, I will need your assistance with one of them," Fu added, getting a nod from Adrien.

"But before we go over those, what I would like to do next is consider with you the _wording_ of the Wish. Marinette, this is primarily for you for obvious reasons, but both of you could benefit from the meditation involved in this," declared Fu. "It is not simply a case of saying the magic words and _presto_ , magic happens. You will need to picture the effect and its results as clearly as possible. You will need to reach out and grasp it with every ounce of your being, with your very soul itself. You will be as specific as possible, to make the effects clear and definitive, yet as brief as possible to avoid confusion or misinterpretation. Your voice does not make the Wish; every single part of you will, and this will test your inner strength like nothing else."

Ladybug nodded, her eyes wide.

"So, with that in mind, please close your eyes, both of you. I want you to relax your bodies as much as you can..."

* * *

The trio spent the next several hours in preparation: rehearsing the content of the Wish, discussing strategy for confronting Gabriel in both his forms, considering contingency plans for outside interference, metaphorically sliding an ace or two up their sleeves.

"I can't imagine the Gorilla interfering," Chat pondered. "He does work for my father... but as far as I know, he's never been actively involved in any of this. If he knows anything about my father being Hawkmoth, he's a very good actor. He's a wild card, I guess, but I don't expect trouble there. Nathalie... I don't trust her at all in that respect, though."

"You know her better than we do," agreed Ladybug. "I will keep my guard up around her. And if he is sincere about using the Moth on you to restore your mother... and having seen your mother up close, and after Tikki examined her, I can't imagine that he isn't... I doubt that we're walking into an _obvious_ trap. He won't have, say, an Akuma waiting for us as soon as we reach his sub-basement. Now, once she's up and running, all bets are off..."

"If he goes back on his word, if he tries to capture or hurt you..." Chat's hands clenched into tight balls. "He will regret it beyond his wildest dreams."

"Easy there," Ladybug soothed, laying her open hand on top of one of his. "I appreciate that very much, but as hard as it's going to be for both of us... we need to keep our emotions under control as much as we can down there. I _will_ need my partner with clear eyes once I'm weakened."

"I know. I don't know how I'll do it... but I promise that I'll try," Chat smiled.

"All right, then. I will leave you two to your preparations. Ladybug, contact me when we are ready to proceed."

Master Fu took in two nervous faces in front of him, and projected his warmest smile. "And remember this," he added. "If I had doubts that this could be done successfully... I would not be allowing it at all. But I have two wonderful, resourceful, clever young people before me who have earned my trust. I believe in you both."

"Do you need a ride out of here, so to speak, Master?" Chat asked. "I can take you with me to get you back to street level, or when I talk with..."

"No, I will be fine, but thank you, Chat Noir," Fu said. "I will leave the way I came, lest the receptionist wonder where I disappeared to."

"I'm heading home for now. Chat, I'll message you and we'll meet, then message Master Fu, okay?" Ladybug asked.

"Absolutely. I'm not going near that place without you," Chat assured her.

The two heroes left out the window the way that they had entered, leaving Fu alone with his thoughts and with a tiny green spirit now emerging from his shirt pocket.

"Master... I am surprised at you," Wayzz chided him.

"How so?" Fu replied.

"Them, you might be able to fool, but not me. I know you far too well for that," explained Wayzz. "And now that they are not here, you're allowing yourself to look as nervous and troubled as you truly feel. Did you _lie_ to them just now?"

"I did not," insisted Fu. "Nothing I said to them a moment ago was at all untrue. They have more than earned my full trust. They are aware of the considerable danger and choosing to put others - and each other - first. I could not have made better choices on that day a year ago. And I am _certainly_ not leaving out any details that would endanger their task at hand!"

"I am not saying that you deliberately misled them, Master," Wayzz backpedaled. "But you are extremely unsettled, nonetheless."

"I am a very old man, Wayzz," sighed Master Fu. "When it is going to rain, I feel it in my joints hours before. When something disturbs the balance of energies in Paris, I can sense it. Your senses are keener, of course, but you have a few thousand years of practice over me. And when death and disaster are in the wind... I can smell them. I have encountered them far too often not to know their stench."

To a wide-eyed Wayzz, he continued. "Call it an old man's superstition, if you like. Perhaps that is all that it is. This final confrontation is necessary, both for humanitarian reasons - to try to salvage a life for Adrien and Marinette - and to cut off a Hawkmoth whose other plans have come far too close to victory. But as devious as Gabriel Agreste has been, as determined as he is that this will happen as he plans it, as dangerous as these magics are..."

"I cannot shake the certainty that _someone..._ and I know not whom, or how many... will not be walking away from this."

* * *

Ladybug landed on her roof, as silently as she could manage. A quick transformation, and she was alone in her room with Tikki.

"I... don't know what to tell you, Marinette," Tikki stammered. "I truly wish that I did. I know how much your parents mean to you... I kind of wish that I'd gotten the chance to _really_ meet them up close, you know? But that would've been... difficult..."

"I don't know, either, Tikki," breathed Marinette, barely holding herself together. "I'm... if I try to tell them, they'll take one look at my face and know how serious this is. I know they will, I can't hide things that big from them."

"You've hidden _me_ for a year _,_ haven't you?" asked Tikki. "No small feat."

"True," she allowed. "And I cannot allow myself to go into this thinking that it's going to fail, that someone's going to get hurt. Master Fu was emphatic about that. I need to focus everything I have on doing this right, or not do it at all."

"So that means..." Marinette continued, her expression uncertain, "that maybe I _should_ avoid a big emotional confession right now. To try to not have a crying mother and father fresh in my mind when it happens."

"Or a crying Tikki," her Kwami burbled. "I'm trying... I promise... and I _do_ have faith in you, just like Master Fu does. If there is any way to get this done, I will give it everything I have."

"You concentrate on _your_ part," chided Marinette. "That's more than enough of a strain on you."

"I won't be _completely_ helpless after the Wish, if it goes like it has before... but pretty close," admitted Tikki. "I won't be able to transform you for a week or so, no matter how yummy your macarons are. Master Fu doesn't have any secret herbs potent enough for _that_. And you won't be strong enough for it even if _I_ was."

"I had thought about that a little," Marinette offered. "Like, if I could use you and Plagg for the Wish, but have the Bee or the Tiger or something as a backup plan in my pocket..."

"The Wish alone is dangerous enough," shuddered Tikki. "I don't want to even picture you trying that so soon after a Wish. The strain would be tremendous."

"All right. Then I need to decide how to approach this... right now. And I'll start..."

Marinette leaned over to her desk, and picked up a pen and her best stationery.

"...with this."

* * *

Nino arrived home in his usual manner; he'd walked Alya home and promised to call her later, he greeted his little brother as he entered the house, and he headed for his room to stretch out and relax.

He plopped his books down on his desk, checked his computer, and turned around to flop down on his bed for a short while...

"Don't be alarmed. It's only me," a voice said from across the room.

Startled, Nino whirled around to see a familiar figure standing by the far wall, with a possibly-too-familiar-for-his-own-good masked face.

"Adr- Chat Noir?" Nino managed. "Dude, my phone still works! You could text a guy a warning, or something."

"Sorry," Chat apologized, sheepishly. "I didn't even think of that."

"I noticed that you and Marinette weren't in school today. You had us wondering a bit. Anything big going on?" asked Nino.

"You... could say that," Chat replied, visibly struggling. "Listen, I need a favor from you... and this is the biggest favor I can ever ask of you."

Nino stared back. "That's hard to believe, after..."

"Never mind that," smiled Chat. "Part one of the favor is that I brought the _right_ box this time."

He handed a small black box over to Nino, who opened it and saw a familiar green light radiating from the bracelet inside.

"Hey, little dude," Nino smiled. "Good to see you! But... I'm gonna guess that this isn't a visit just to come hang out, is it?"

"Sadly, it is not," said Wayzz. "We need your assistance on a matter of great urgency. Many lives are at stake - including Adrien's."

"O-of course I'll help," stammered Nino, at full attention. "What do you need me to do?"

"There's someone that you need to meet," explained Chat, gently. "I'll take you there myself, and he'll explain the rest of the plan to you. But before I do that... well... I need a promise from you. There is something else that you need to know, but that I can only share if you _absolutely swear_ to keep it to yourself. And I mean _no one_ else."

"More so than what I already learned this week?" Nino marveled. "It's _that_ big?"

"For me, it is," muttered Chat. "Look... I like Alya a lot, okay? But you'll understand once I tell you why I can't have her knowing this. This is something that just _can't_ ever slip out."

"I promise. I absolutely promise," Nino swore. "What is it?"

"...Who Hawkmoth _really is._ And _why_."

* * *

In Gabriel's office, Nathalie sat quietly, listening to her employer describe the phone call from Marinette.

"I suppose that this was inevitable," Gabriel sighed. "If he had not known, he was about to. I had hoped to break the news to him myself, should that ever become necessary."

"Look at it this way, Sir," ventured Nathalie. "If he had learned about you _and_ Emilie _and_ the plan to Akumatize him and heal her all at once... well, I can only imagine what would come next. One kind of explosion or another. This way, he has time to think about it, and from what you said, Ladybug wasn't as harsh as she could have been about it. If she explained to him what you're trying to accomplish..."

"...He will still explode when he sees me. And her," Gabriel replied. "But better for him to arrive aware than to be completely blindsided, I would guess. And it demonstrates that Ladybug is taking this plan of mine seriously."

Nathalie nodded. "Which is good," she said.

"I have spent some time with Nooroo, working out our strategy and discussing the situation. I would bring you into the loop as well, as I will require your assistance during the ritual," explained Gabriel. "Our young heroes will be doing the lion's share of the work, of course, but I would have you know what to expect and how you might help... as well as some code phrases for particular courses of action, should they become necessary."

"Did Nooroo..." Nathalie trailed off.

At the sound of his name, the tiny purple Kwami floated out into the open, startling Nathalie slightly.

"Did you... tell him anything else that would be important?" Nathalie asked, hesitantly.

Nooroo's face fell. "I said what must be said," he admitted, in a sad voice. "I had no choice."

"So it's _true?"_ she gasped, turning to Gabriel. The look on his face gave her all the confirmation she needed of that. "Sir... Are you all right?"

"No, I am not," Gabriel replied, looking pale. "If he is more familiar than most with this... surreal existence, this bizarre game we have been playing all year... that may help him adjust to this new reality with more ease. But it is one thing to know that I have been tormenting him deliberately for this last month or so. Quite another thing to comprehend the _true_ repercussions of my actions. And when I see him..."

He shuddered, a rare display of emotion even to Nathalie. "I do not know what can be said."

Quickly, he regained his composure. "This changes nothing, regardless," he insisted. "This truth would have seen daylight very soon, if not now. My will is set; my goal is unaltered."

"What can I do?" half-whispered Nathalie.

"For now... you can listen," said Gabriel. "And then, we wait."

* * *

Marinette stared at her fifth draft of what she was writing, her head spinning with frustration. "There is no way that I'm ever going to make this say what I want it to," she moaned.

"I wouldn't expect you to, Marinette," counseled Tikki. "This isn't... something that I could imagine you ever thinking that you would write."

"I mean..." sighed Marinette, "it's not a suicide note. _Very much_ not a suicide note, and I don't want it sounding like one! I have every intention of coming back here and leading a long and happy life with two wonderful parents as part of it. I'm not running away from home. I'm not _trying_ to say 'Goodbye' at all..."

She put her pen down and closed her eyes. "But I... kind of am," she whispered. "Because there's a chance that this isn't going to end well, that I might be gone... or changed... when it's over. And it would be cruel of them to make them worry... but far more cruel for me to just disappear, or turn up God knows how, and not at least try to tell them how much they mean to me. And I'm _hoping_ that they'll never have to read this at all!"

"It sounds to me," Tikki added in a gentle voice, "that you do know what you want to write."

"I guess... I guess I do," Marinette replied. "Thank you. Now I just have to get it into words on paper somehow..."

* * *

Adrien and Nino sat at Master Fu's kitchen table, listening carefully to Fu's plan of action. Adrien kept an eye on his friend's face as things progressed.

 _He's... well, he's here and he's still willing to help. That much is good,_ thought Adrien. _Kind of a thousand-yard stare, but I can only imagine what MY face looked like last night!_

 _When this insanity is over, I'll have to find so many ways to let him know how much he's appreciated. There's really no one else I could've turned to like this._

 _Part of that is my fault, of course, because I'm the one who let him in on our secrets in the first place. Welcome to the big leagues, Nino Lahiffe! And, uh, sorry about that... hope we all survive the experience!_

He watched as Nino nodded nervously, taking it all in.

"I will say the same thing that I said to Chat Noir and to Ladybug, Nino. What we ask of you is not an obligation on your part. It carries considerable risk in many ways. It could open you or your family up to revenge, if things go badly. It shouldn't... but I cannot ask you to participate. This must be a choice on your part, with full knowledge of the potential... both for good and for bad."

Nino gulped before answering Master Fu. "I'm kind of _drowning_ in full knowledge right now, Mister Fu. I am still trying to wrap my head around most of this. But I'll say this... I didn't ask for Ladybug to give me Wayzz and let me join the team. She made me the offer and let me know how I could help, and I did. I didn't ask for Adrien to try to give me the Cat Miraculous... or to trust me with what he told me tonight... but he did, and I was there. I can't say no to this, now that I know what's at stake."

"Are you sure, Nino?" Adrien asked. "I need you to be completely ready for this. I can't think of a better wingman... but this is _huge,_ what we're asking."

"I'm in."

Adrien smiled a genuine smile at him, then looked back at Master Fu. "All right. I'll check in with Marinette."

* * *

Marinette's phone buzzed, pulling her attention away from the letter on her lap.

 **[Adrien] How's it going?**

 **[Marinette] ...Haltingly.**

 **[Marinette] But I could sit here for the next ten years and still second-guess myself.**

 **[Marinette] If you're ready... I'm ready.**

 **[Adrien] Nino's in. I'm... well...**

 **[Adrien] I know the feeling. I'll never be _ready_... but I'm prepared.**

 **[Adrien] As much as I'm ever going to be.**

 **[Marinette] I'll be right over.**

She listened carefully, hearing her parents rummaging around downstairs. Quickly, she darted down into the kitchen, where her mother was standing by the stove.

"Oh! Hello, Marinette. I didn't hear you come in," Sabine smiled. "Supper will be ready in about half an hour."

"About that... I have something that I, um... have to do before then," Marinette stammered. "I need to step out for a little while, okay?"

"...Okay?" replied Sabine, looking a bit confused. "Anything I can help with?"

"You help with it every day," said Marinette. She wrapped her mother up in a tight hug, then headed up to her room. "Give Dad one of those for me, okay?" she called.

"I will?" her mother wondered aloud. "Marinette... are you all right?"

"I will be!" a distant voice answered.

Sabine considered the oddness of her daughter's actions for a long moment before returning to her cooking pot, which was threatening to boil over.

* * *

Upstairs, Marinette gave her room one last long look... slipped the letter under her pillow, tucked out of sight... and took a very deep breath.

"Spots on."

* * *

Gabriel's quiet ruminations were interrupted by rapid approaching footsteps, which resolved into Nathalie skidding into his office. "You need to see this," she gasped.

 _So it begins_ , he thought.

He joined her on what felt like the longest walk of his life, accompanying Nathalie to the front door of the mansion, which they stepped through.

Gabriel saw the front gate open - _at least I don't have to wonder how Ladybug and Chat Noir knew the security_ _code_ , he mused - and watched two costumed figures walking in his direction. Chat Noir's left hand was holding Ladybug's; his right was balled into a fist, visible even at that distance.

Their steps were deliberate, slow and measured. _Why not? They're in no hurry,_ thought Gabriel. _The last wall of secrets has fallen._

 _It is time._

A moment later, the standoff was complete. Ladybug felt Chat's hand tighten around hers, and she squeezed back.

"Hello, Hawkmoth," Chat Noir stated, flatly.

Gabriel didn't skip a beat.

"Hello... my son."

* * *

Next time:

* It all comes down to this.


	23. A Wish Is A Dream Wh Your Heart Breaks

Someone To Watch Over Me, Chapter 23: A Wish Is A Dream Where Your Heart Breaks

* * *

Two young people in costumes stood silently on the front porch of the Agreste mansion... and two adults stood facing them.

Ladybug felt Chat Noir shudder next to her, and grasped his hand a little tighter. With the blend of rage and anguish and fear she imagined running through him in this confrontation, a little part of her wasn't sure whether Adrien or Gabriel was more in need of her protection.

"I am going to assume that you two did not drop by for supper," Gabriel began, dryly.

Ladybug marveled at his nerve - _bantering, at a moment like this!_ she thought - but the catch in Gabriel's voice gave away his own inner conflict.

"You are correct. We have discussed matters with our mentor, and we are prepared to proceed, if you are," she replied. "For Emilie's sake, for Adrien's, for Paris's... we will try to help you."

Gabriel stood silently for a few seconds, processing that. "Come in, then, please," he gestured once he'd made his mind up. "Let us go inside before the paparazzi starts wondering what you two are doing here."

"Why shouldn't I be here?" growled Chat Noir. "It's my house, after all."

"Which only five people in this city know. The four of us, and your... mentor, as she put it," answered Gabriel as they walked. "And I suspect that we would all like to keep it that way."

* * *

The group moved to the reception area inside the front door. "You may detransform, if you like," Gabriel suggested.

"I'd rather not, if it's all the same to you," Chat retorted. "Considering that I know who you are, I don't know that it's safe."

His father sighed. "All right... I will give you some peace of mind concerning that. Nooroo, come forth, please."

The Kwami floated out of Gabriel's pocket, causing Adrien to stiffen slightly. _It's one thing to know,_ he thought. _It's another to see it confirmed up close!_

"The same protocol as last night, please. Until Ladybug says a code word of her choosing, you will deny any transformation requests that I may make," instructed Gabriel. "Your move, Mademoiselle."

Ladybug considered the situation. "Spots off," she said, transforming back to Marinette. That made all three of the others jump.

"What? Everyone here knows who I am now," Marinette smiled, as Tikki floated out beside her. "Especially you, Chat."

"Yes, but seeing you _do that_ is still pretty new to me," he replied.

"Tikki," Marinette continued, "this is a big leap of faith, just like it was last night. Can we trust Nooroo to hold Mr. Agreste to that condition? You know Nooroo better than I do."

Tikki looked at Nooroo, questioningly, then turned back to Marinette. "I believe so," she said.

"I understand your suspicions completely, Marinette," Gabriel ventured. "But I am deeply in your debt for agreeing to this ritual. Going back on my word and trying to ambush the two of you while Emilie remains in danger would be beyond foolhardy of me... especially now that I know precisely whom I would be hurting."

"That hasn't stopped you before..."

"Easy, Chat," Marinette said, resting her hand on his to make sure he remained still. "Nooroo... the trigger word for today is 'macaron.' This will be indefinite, not on a timer, correct?"

"Correct," Nooroo agreed, concentrating briefly. "It is done."

"Nooroo... Darkwings RISE!" intoned Gabriel, abruptly.

The room was still for a moment, as three human and two Kwami heads turned and stared at him.

"A minor demonstration, for your comfort," Gabriel smiled. "So, now that the immediate threat of Hawkmoth has been resolved, and you know that no new Akumas will come floating by without your permission... shall we discuss this matter? I cannot imagine that your mentor agreed to this without conditions."

"No, he didn't... and I have one of my own."

* * *

Marinette took a deep breath, staring down her street-clothed nemesis and gathering her thoughts.

"Number one... we will need the Book of Lore and the Peacock Miraculous from you, for a couple of reasons," she began.

Nathalie gave Gabriel a nervous glance, but he seemed unruffled.

"For one, it's not that we don't trust you, Nathalie, but we don't," Marinette said, nervously. "Not when you've played your significant part in these events. For another, you had told me how the Peacock had suffered damage, Mr. Agreste..."

"Call me Gabriel, please. I think we are past the need for formality now," he parried.

"Gabriel, then. All right. My mentor would like to examine it and see if repairs are possible. I think you would agree that he is far more qualified than any of us to attempt that, and if this... ritual fails, it will give him vital clues as to what damage the Peacock had caused and what to try differently next time."

"Next time..." wondered Gabriel. "You would risk this more than once?"

"If it is called for," Marinette sighed. "I don't really want to, but I don't really want to do this _tonight_ , either. But I'll take the risk as long as it makes sense for us to do so."

"Your logic seems sound... and your compassion is appreciated. Nathalie, fetch them, please," instructed Gabriel. He watched as Nathalie retreated towards his atelier, containing his hidden safe.

"Has... has Nathalie suffered from using it, too?" asked Chat. "Like Mother did?"

"To an extent, yes," Gabriel told him, in a solemn voice. "Another reason why I choose to comply with your request. I am... uncomfortable with her taking that risk again."

A short while later, Nathalie returned and offered the brooch and book to Marinette, who tucked the brooch away in her purse. "See what you can make of it for now, Tikki," said Marinette, to which her Kwami disappeared into her purse's depths.

"Number two... this non-aggression pact of ours continues for now. You will not expose our identities, and we will not expose yours until this matter is resolved," Marinette continued. "That goes for friends and family, as well. We are risking _everything_ in doing this, and we expect full cooperation in return. But if we _can_ restore Emilie... or if something goes very wrong, and it becomes impossible for that to succeed... you will surrender the Moth to us, and you will accept the consequences of your actions."

"A somewhat one-sided condition, I would say," Gabriel noted. "Once I am exposed before the world, why should I feel compelled to maintain _your_ secret, Marinette?"

"You wouldn't _dare_ ," Chat snapped. "If any trace of the father I knew is left inside you..."

"Let's cross that bridge when we get to it, please," allowed Marinette. "Perhaps a bit of gratitude for what we are putting on the line here would hold your tongue? Not wanting your son's life to turn into even more of a circus? Our cooperation in trying to minimize that impact?"

"Agreed," said Gabriel, nodding. "I do not wish to be impertinent. Merely to ensure that we all go into this with our eyes wide open. What else?"

"Number three. This is for me," Marinette added, stammering slightly. "I don't know if we will continue to be Ladybug and Chat Noir after tonight; I don't know if we'll _need_ to, without Akumas flying around the city. I don't know a lot of things about what will happen next. But I want your promise on one thing, Mr... Gabriel."

"Name it."

"That Adrien's life is _his own_ from here on out. If he wants to continue to model for the family business, that's his choice. If he wants to stay in public school, or if he wants to stay out of the limelight for a while and live a normal life, or if he wants to drop out of school and become a circus clown under a false name... whatever he wants... he'll have your full support, no matter what."

Chat stared at Marinette, wide-eyed. "We... didn't talk about this," he managed.

"No, we didn't. But this is important to me," said Marinette, with soft eyes. "If there's one thing I know that you want more than anything else... it's the freedom to choose for yourself. I know that you'll make good choices; it's part of who you are. But I need to know that you'll _get_ that chance."

Gabriel looked stunned by the request... then lowered his head, slowly. "I cannot say no to that," he admitted. "If there is anything _left_ of the fashion house after my public disgrace, I would hope that Adrien would help rebuild it... but he will need every bit of support he can get. We all will. And he has more than earned the right to be his own man."

He turned and looked Chat in the eye, noting that Chat didn't flinch. "And I have one condition of my own..." he added, softly. "I would speak with my son for a moment, in private."

Marinette turned and looked at Chat, meaningfully. _That's up to you,_ she said with her eyes.

"I think we need that," Chat said, more with his voice than with his actual thoughts.

* * *

Gabriel rose and gestured to Chat Noir to follow him. "Let us speak in the atelier, Adrien. Once we are ready, you can wave to Marinette and Nathalie to join us, and I will show you what you need to see."

Chat stared at him, motionless, then back at Marinette.

"I won't make you do this," Marinette said, quietly. "But he is your father, among many other things. I can be Ladybug again in two words, but I don't expect that kind of trouble. I'll be right here if you need me."

Without a word, Chat stepped over and lightly kissed Marinette on the cheek. "That's what's keeping me upright," he replied, with a grim smile, then turned and followed Gabriel down the hallway.

* * *

Father and son stood together by Emilie's portrait, remaining within Marinette's line of sight. Gabriel opened his mouth to speak, struggling to form the words... then lowered his head, visibly uncomfortable.

"I don't even know how to begin this, Adrien," he ventured. "This all seems like one long dream that has spiraled far out of control."

Chat replied, "I'll agree with you there. None of this seems like it can be real."

Gabriel looked up once more. "Could you... be yourself for me, please? You have nothing to fear."

Grudgingly, Chat said, "Claws in," reverting to Adrien.

Gabriel gave him a small smile, noting that it was not returned. "I suspected this was the case, but my attempt to find out nearly proved disastrous. Never would I have imagined that my otherwise rational son would jump off a skyscraper."

"Or that my father would turn out to be a terrorist! Or that he would hurt me deliberately!"

"I am not asking for your forgiveness," sighed Gabriel, withstanding Adrien's fury. "I would not get it if I did, but I do not deserve it from you. But Marinette has explained to you who and what I showed her, and my rationale as to what all of this has been about?"

It was Adrien's turn to go silent.

"She has," he replied, after a moment. "Is it all true?"

"She saw your mother with her own eyes. Marinette's Kwami examined her without my interference. You would not be here now if my story did not bear the ring of truth," parried Gabriel. "And I have no reason to lie to either of you now. My fate lies in Marinette's hands, as does your mother's, as does your own."

Watching his son's face flash with renewed anger, Gabriel continued. "I want you to know a couple of things, Adrien, before events happen tonight and everything about our lives will change. One of them is that, even though I know how much I have hurt you in the process... this really _has_ been about our family. I have not used this power to rob banks, murder my enemies or overturn governments; I have tried in vain to obtain the one pair of things that might bring your mother back to us. And now, even more intently, as I am aware that I will be... going away, I assume."

He shrugged. "Will I be jailed? Will my lawyers find a way to explain it all away? Will the fashion house survive the scandal? I have no idea. But I can leave you adrift in this world, with everything you know shattered to pieces once I am exposed as Hawkmoth... or at least with your mother by your side, who loves you dearly, and with whom you can steer through the worst of it."

Adrien measured his response carefully. "I... I have done some thinking on that, Father. I wouldn't say that I've been at my most rational these last 24 hours... but it makes a certain kind of sense to me how all of this happened, now that I know what I know."

At Gabriel's questioning gaze, he flinched, turning to stare up at his mother's portrait. "I don't know what I think about that, entirely. Can I... before we try this, can I see her?"

"Absolutely. As it happens, right now you are standing very close to the elevator that will take us there," Gabriel offered. "I want you to know that everything is how I say it is, that nothing is being hidden before you take action tonight. This is too important to leave anything to chance."

Adrien nodded, taking that in.

"The second thing that I want you to know is that I am _so_ proud of my son," he continued. "I always have been, even if I do not always show it. I hold you to very high standards, and you consistently deliver on them. But to know that my son and his lady friend are the nemeses who have foiled my plans, time and time again, outfighting my creations and outthinking me at every turn?"

He shook his head. "Well, it explains much, I will admit that. The two of you are each extraordinary, and I sincerely hope that whether or not you two maintain your costumed existences, she will remain a vital part of your life."

That got a funny look from Adrien. "You know, when I brought my first girlfriend home for your approval, somehow this isn't how I'd imagined that it would go," he managed.

"Nor I," smiled Gabriel. "But the two of us had a long talk last night after... well, after you left. I am most impressed, and more than a little humbled that she is still willing to risk herself in this manner. And while I hope that all goes well, needless to say, if anything should go badly for her tonight... no expense will be spared. Whatever I can do, whatever my fortune can obtain, wherever I must go to try to make things right for her and her family, it will be done."

"Is that supposed to be comforting?" sniffed Adrien.

"Can anything be, at this point?" retorted Gabriel. "What I am saying... is that none of this is lost upon me. I meant what I said to her; I am deeply in her debt for this, win or lose. Whatever the future holds for you two, you have my blessing, especially since I suspect that I will not get to see it up close."

Silence filled the room once more.

"And the third thing... and this is difficult for me to say..." stammered Gabriel, "is just how _sorry_ I am about the way I have treated you these last few weeks. Knowing what you know, you may understand that it was not done from malice. I felt that... breaking you... was the only path left to restoring your Mother."

Gabriel turned away for a moment, struggling with his phrasing and his guilt. "I could spout cliches about 'this hurt me as much as it did you,' but that would be a vicious lie. The necessity of what I have done does not excuse it in the slightest. I was cruel to you in ways that no father ever should be, and I apologize for that, as hollow as I imagine that seems to you. No matter how dearly I want your mother to return to us, this process crossed far too many lines."

Turning back, he tried to read Adrien's thoughts from his expression and body language, but it was futile. _Small wonder,_ Gabriel mused. _I have no idea how I would react if I was in his shoes. This has been shock upon shock upon shock, with trauma underneath to spare._

"Beyond that, I am without words, my son. I do not know how to make things right between us. But one way or another, whatever our future holds, I must try; you are too dear to me for anything less. You are the one thing remaining that is right in my world."

* * *

Adrien remained still.

 _That's about as close to an 'I love you' as I think I've ever heard from him,_ he pondered. _Or that I ever will._

"I have no idea what to say, either," Adrien began. "My life has been a carnival of craziness ever since you and Mother left on that trip. We have struggled so much to hold things together ever since. Some days, I've felt like I've helped with that. Some days, I've felt more like a target or a scapegoat."

"This," he said, holding up his ring, "has changed my life in a lot of other ways. It was my ticket to escape when I needed to, to try and figure out who and what I am. It led me to the most amazing girl I've ever known. It got me kicked, blasted and smashed all over Paris, turned into a zombie, erased from existence, brainwashed and nearly killed, and all I wanted to do was come back for more. I would do anything to protect that girl from harm! And I have. And I still would."

Adrien sat down, feeling like if he didn't, he'd fall down instead. "Marinette and I talked for a long time about this last night. She knows how torn I am over this. How _terrified I am_ that just as we've finally found each other, now that we finally understand... what could happen to her tonight and tear it all away. Or to me! Or to both of us!" he insisted. "But I couldn't talk her out of it. Not even a chance of that."

He looked up at his father with helpless eyes. "She's not doing this just for you and me, you know that, right? This is about bigger things to her. This is about the millions of people in Paris who are in danger - _whom you've put in danger_ again and again. This is about the one chance she has of ending this insanity. This is about protecting our friends, people who mean a lot to both of us. Our families. Their families."

"And it _is_ about me... because she knows what's about to happen to me if she doesn't. You didn't give her much of a choice in that," Adrien snapped, "and _that_ is something that will be hard for me to ever forgive. And it is about _you._ She has every reason to hate you, to _despise_ you, for everything you've done to her and to me and to all of Paris. But she _doesn't_! She feels sorry for you. She has the power to do something about this... so she's doing it. It comes that naturally to her."

"And to protect her... I didn't know what I was going to do when I saw you again," he half-sobbed. "Part of me wanted to grab you and haul you off to jail myself. Part of me wanted to drop you where you stand."

"And part of _me_ ," a tiny voice piped up, "wanted to show you what the Cat's powers can really do."

Plagg floated out of Adrien's pocket and glared menacingly at Gabriel, who managed to stop after two involuntary steps backward. "You are _alive_ because he wants you that way. Don't ever forget that."

Gabriel blinked, registering what he saw. "You would be... Plagg, I take it?" he said. "An unexpected houseguest?"

"Oh, bill me for the back rent!" Plagg growled. "Your Camembert was delicious, I'll give you that. The one good thing I can see about you."

"But it came down to this. Marinette needs to do this tonight... and I need to be there for her, to help her. To help my mother," declared Adrien, holding tears back. "To save both of them, if I'm strong enough... and I have to be. And that means I can't think hard about _you and I_ right now."

He waved in the direction of Marinette, then turned back to his father. "But make _no mistake._ If you try to double-cross us down there, if you hurt her... you'll never be the same again. I promise you that."

Marinette and Nathalie approached, a little bit timidly. "Are you all right, Adrien?" Marinette asked.

"Not yet. Not until we've done what we came to do."

"In that case..." Gabriel interjected, "it is time."

* * *

The four gathered beside Emilie's portrait, the three Kwamis hovering together nervously, Marinette clinging to Adrien's side as she tried to comfort him.

"The entrance to Emilie's chamber is beneath us, accessed by an elevator platform. You've seen it, obviously, but Adrien has not," Gabriel told Marinette. "It is not built to hold much weight; no more than two people, or one Gorilla, if I were ever to let him down there. Which I haven't, for your information; he is an innocent in all of this, but I digress. I would rather descend smoothly than plummet."

"So how are we going to do this?" asked Marinette.

"Adrien... stand here with me," Gabriel directed. Reluctantly, Adrien stepped forward. "Marinette, watch closely. There are hidden buttons on this portrait: here, here and here. Pressing them in this sequence will take the platform down to where Emilie rests. I will send it back up, and you can follow with Nathalie right after."

Marinette stepped forward. "Like this?" she asked, mimicking his direction, showing the button sequence off with exaggerated gesturing so that they could all see it.

"Just so. In fact, go ahead, so that I know that you have it right."

"I will be right behind you," Marinette told Adrien, then pushed the buttons. Adrien gulped audibly as the platform began to move, and in an instant the two of them were out of sight.

She turned and looked at Nathalie, who shrugged slightly, looking nervous. "And we have nothing to worry about from you, _right?"_ Marinette asked.

"What I want is what Gabriel wants," replied Nathalie, in a hushed voice. "I want what's best for Adrien, as well. I'm not his mother, and I could never pretend to be her, but he's come to mean a lot to me, too. I think you can relate to that, hmmm? He grows on everyone."

"You could say that," smiled Marinette, despite herself.

The platform returned to the room, and the two women stepped onto it. Marinette pressed the buttons and they descended to Emilie's chamber together. As they reached the bottom, Nathalie stepped out. As Marinette followed, she pressed the third button on the left, and the platform ascended back up to the atelier without Nathalie's noticing.

The two of them had not gone completely unnoticed themselves, however.

* * *

Both of them kept their eyes riveted on what was before them. Gabriel and Adrien were walking towards Emilie's cryogenic chamber together, slowly... but the closer they got, the tenser Adrien became, until he broke into a run about halfway up the aisle.

"Oh, God... that poor boy," murmured Nathalie, just loud enough for Marinette to hear. "I can't believe this is happening."

"You've been down here?" asked Marinette.

"A couple of times. Never alone," she answered. "Never without a good reason."

Marinette caught herself shivering, slightly.

The two of them stepped forward towards Gabriel, who was giving Adrien some distance and a long moment alone with his mother. Marinette watched as her partner approached the capsule very slowly, tentatively reaching out to touch it, as if afraid that he would break it... then dropping to his knees.

"Are you holding up all right, young lady?" Gabriel asked, without turning his head. Nathalie moved to Gabriel's side, suppressing the urge to put her arm around him as comfort, while Marinette stood a short distance to their left, not taking her eyes off of Adrien.

"I've had better days," she sniffled back. "But I'm still here."

"And you?" asked Nathalie of Gabriel.

"This is a moment I had prayed that he would never have to face," he replied, leaving it at that.

Tikki raised her voice, reminding Gabriel of her presence. "If I may add something... as the only one of us who's ever been _part of_ a Wish like this... I have a request as well, and one with which the Guardian agreed."

"Oh?" asked Gabriel, turning her way.

"When we begin and you transform Adrien... use the light side, not the dark. This time, allow Nooroo to use his power as he has been meant to."

Gabriel frowned. "We had discussed this previously. I suspect that every bit of power we can muster will be needed."

Tikki shook her small head. "When it comes to magic like this, power is important, but so are control and subtlety. With a light transformation, Adrien will have more of his true self guiding the power. His mind will be clearer and more focused, as will your own. If we wish to first, do no harm, as a doctor would say... please, consider this. I have seen what can happen when a Wish goes awry firsthand."

"Nooroo?" asked Gabriel. "You know your own capabilities better than anyone. What is your opinion? Is Tikki correct?"

Nooroo paused before answering. "I cannot stop you from making your own choices, Master. But I believe that she is right, and that a light butterfly carries far less risk to all."

 _Not to mention, given what we talked about earlier,_ the Kwami thought, _please don't even hint that you'd make me act on that one plan of yours!_

"Fine. We will do this your way and hope for the best," allowed Gabriel.

He watched Marinette fidget nervously and gestured to her. "Please, go to him," he told her. "He needs you more than me right now."

* * *

The Gorilla walked slowly towards Gabriel's atelier, not sure that he'd really seen what he was sure that he'd just witnessed.

 _Gabriel and Adrien... just vanished down some kind of secret elevator thing? And then Marinette and Nathalie followed them?_

 _What in the world is going ON here?_

He approached the portrait of Emilie, the one he'd just seen Marinette touching, and surveyed the area with a practiced eye. The seams of the round elevator platform were hidden well, but easily found by a professional like himself. The triggering mechanism was a bit trickier, however; he saw multiple buttons, cunningly hidden in the bottom half of the painting, but it was unclear in what order they needed to be pressed. For all he knew, a mistake could set off alarms somewhere, and...

 _Well, THEN what?_

He scratched his head, pondering this new information. _I can't do my job as security unless I KNOW what's going on around here. Why would this even EXIST, let alone in Gabriel's house, of all people?_

Abruptly, his eyes widened considerably. Without any fanfare or warning, the buttons pressed _themselves_ and the platform, seemingly unoccupied, descended once more.

 _What in the BLUE HELL?_

The Gorilla waited for a couple of minutes, but the platform did not return. _That makes sense,_ he thought. _If it did, how would they get back up here?_

 _Though any elevator has to have call buttons, I would think. And I think I just saw what they are._

He'd seen the buttons move on their own. He was pretty sure that he remembered the proper sequence. He knew that pressing them and investigating the situation was a career decision, one way or the other. If he had been meant to know about this, Gabriel would have shown it to him a long time ago.

But it wasn't just Gabriel and Nathalie... those _kids_ were down there, too.

To no one's surprise, he remained silent as he considered all of this.

* * *

On his knees, looking up at his sleeping mother, Adrien Agreste wept unashamedly.

An arm around his shoulders and a soft voice at his ear announced Marinette's presence. "I swear to you, she's only resting. Tikki checked her out every way she could," she whispered to him.

"I know. I trust you," he whimpered back. "But it's still... too much..."

"We're going to fix this if we can. You take your time. I'll need your strength when we're ready to try."

"And you'll need this." Quietly, he slipped the silver ring off his finger and passed it to her; she felt a surge of power run through her even without putting it on.

 _If their coming together like this is this intense..._ Marinette thought, _what is USING both at once going to do to me? But I'm not backing out now just because I'm afraid._

A few minutes later, before he could change his mind, Adrien stood up and took Marinette's hand. Marinette turned to walk with him back to Gabriel, but he stopped her and turned her face-to-face.

 _"Be safe for me,"_ begged Adrien. "Please."

"You too."

They embraced tightly for a moment, then walked the short distance back to Gabriel together.

* * *

"If we're going to attempt this... I'm ready," Adrien told him.

Marinette glanced back at the entrance to the chamber, specifically at the elevator platform waiting to carry them upstairs, then once again at Gabriel. "I am, too," she said. "What have you decided?"

"To have a little faith, for once," Gabriel noted. "I will need your assistance, of course."

Marinette nodded. "Tikki... spots on," she declared, becoming Ladybug. The ring in her right hand throbbed with power, a pulsation that made her entire body yearn for its promised gift. "Nooroo... 'macaron,'" she added. "Let's get to work."

The Kwami nodded back, satisfied, then closed his eyes in anticipation.

"Thank you," Gabriel said. "Nooroo... _spread my wings._ "

* * *

In a white flash, Gabriel felt his body engulfed in energy... but with a very unusual sensation, compared to what he had become accustomed to feeling.

 _Fascinating,_ he thought. _This truly is something different..._

 _As Hawkmoth, there's a sort of... hunger inherent to my transformation. This is quite the opposite... a fullness, a feeling of satisfaction. Power to be shared, not manipulated or exploited._

 _This feels bizarre to me... but strangely proper, as well._

His clothing transformed into something subtly familiar - very close to his Hawkmoth costume, but in white, and with what felt like subtle wings on his back. He had a simple domino mask instead of the full-head covering. He felt more _alive_ than he had in years.

 _If there is time for thought... if I have the ABILITY for thought after all of this... I must ponder this later,_ Gabriel marveled. _Have I truly been so off-base all this time? Could I have done the right thing, been a force for good for this city, and lured the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous out of hiding that way?_

 _No. I will not second-guess my path now. I will ask neither forgiveness nor permission for what must come next._

* * *

The group stared at the transformed Gabriel.

"If you even _think_ the words 'the Archangel Gabriel,' I'm going to throw up," Adrien grumbled. "Are you _serious_ right now?"

"Adrien, if I have taught you anything in your fourteen years, it is that if you are to do anything in life... do it with a touch of style," his father smiled. "But I did not design this consciously, so do not go overboard analyzing my self-perception."

Nathalie and Marinette just stared. "Are they usually like this, when they're alone together?" whispered Marinette.

"I've got nothing," Nathalie whispered back.

"Regardless, are you fully prepared for this, Adrien?" Gabriel asked. "Once we begin, it may be dangerous to stop for any reason. You will have your own mind once transformed, I suspect... but you will have to trust me, one last time."

"I'm as ready as I think I can be."

"Then let us begin."

A white butterfly floated out of Gabriel's extended hand, fluttered over to Adrien and seemed to merge with him, causing him to become engulfed in a cocoon of sparkling energy.

Gabriel's voice filled Adrien's mind. "My son... my gift of power to you is that of healing. The importance of your role tonight cannot be overstated. I am extremely proud of you, and I know that your strength will serve your mother well. Do you accept?"

"I do," Adrien replied, and then the energy took him.

* * *

Ladybug watched the pyrotechnics with her stomach tightening up. _Gabriel wouldn't do anything terrible to his OWN SON... not NOW, at least... would he?_

When the smoke cleared, Adrien looked quite different. A dark green uniform featured a red pulse insignia on the front, as if snipped from an electrocardiogram. A high-tech visor was in front of his eyes, through which he examined his revised wardrobe.

"Adrien, _are you okay?"_ Ladybug called to him, quickly.

"I am," he answered. "You can call me... _Lifeline_. This is pretty neat, actually! This visor has a heads-up display, like some kind of augmented-reality game! When I look at you, or Nathalie, or Father, I see... well... health bars. Yours is completely full, all the way into the green. Like, a silvery white at 100%, even. Nathalie's is... um..."

"Heh. The video game generation," Gabriel smirked.

"Um?" Nathalie asked, looking a bit alarmed.

"You're... a little more than halfway... have you seen a doctor lately? I mean, I'm not a doctor, obviously, I'm not trying to say that you're-"

"Never mind that now," blurted Nathalie, waving him off. "I know very well what the Peacock has done to me. Apparently, that won't keep being a problem going forward."

"Focus on your mother, Adrien. What do you see?" Gabriel directed him.

"I see... _oh_." Adrien trailed off. "A flicker of red, that's barely there."

"You now have the power to do something about that... at least temporarily. You can feel that, I hope," said Gabriel. "Focus your power, your energies on your mother and project your will. _Bring her_ to health, as much as you can, slow and steady. And then hope lies in the capable hands of your lady friend."

Adrien raised his arms, tentatively, and a pale gold energy flowed from his fingers into a beam of light. The beam stretched across and illuminated his mother's resting body...

"It's... I think it's working!" he declared, with visible excitement. "It feels like it's helping. Her meter is increasing, slowly, but it's happening..."

"Go slow, Adrien. We can't rush this," said Gabriel, calmly. "Do what you can to stabilize her, until... _what the devil?"_

* * *

By design, the elevator platform was nearly silent in its operation. As was its most recent passenger, under most circumstances. This was not one of those times.

" _HRRRNGH_?" grunted the Gorilla, wordlessly, as he surveyed the situation in utter disbelief.

 _Three costumed figures... one looks like the boss, one looks like... Adrien, in some weird outfit? Has he been Akumatized? And is that LADYBUG?_

 _They're not fighting each other... That much is good... but what in the world IS this place, and what have I stumbled onto_ _?_

He narrowed his eyes to focus on the capsule at the far end of the room, the one that the Adrien-ish figure was bathing in some kind of energy beam.

 _That's..._

 _THAT'S...!_

* * *

"Well, _this_ is a bit awkward," muttered Gabriel. Thinking quickly, he began barking out orders. _The last thing we can have right now is that lummox interfering with this!_ he moaned to himself.

" _Nathalie!_ Stop him. Yes, I know, he's huge, _talk to him!_ Let him know that we are who he thinks we are, and that we mean Emilie no harm. Quite the opposite! Adrien! Keep doing what you're doing. Remain focused on your mother; we cannot stop now. Nooroo... fold my feathers!"

Gabriel reverted to his normal appearance, with a somewhat surprised Nooroo popping into existence before him.

"Go and monitor Adrien's progress. You know your powers and their capabilities better than anyone; get up close and make sure that Adrien's are working as we had designed them, and let us know when he has achieved all that he can and the next phase must begin," Gabriel ordered him. "Please... be careful. I will help Nathalie prevent any interruptions."

Without waiting for confirmation, Gabriel turned and strode towards his bodyguard, who was halfway up the aisle and being only slightly hindered by Gabriel's diminutive assistant. _It's like a bramble bush trying to stop a bulldozer,_ thought Gabriel. He heard sprinklings of phrases like " _WAS Hawkmoth_ " and " _healing powers_ " and _"saving Emilie"_ coming from her as he approached.

 _Please let him listen to reason...!_

"I need you to _calm down_ ," intoned Gabriel, trying to put some authority into his voice. "Yes... this is a highly unusual situation. I applaud you for your initiative in finding us. But we can talk later about what it all means; right now, I _cannot have you_ interrupting this! We are trying to restore my wife to health, and Ladybug is here of her _own free will._ She is _helping_ us, and that is Chat Noir in the other costume, with augmented powers."

That caught the Gorilla's attention and made him pause. Gabriel breathed a small sigh of relief, watching a meaty fist lower itself from striking position.

"There is no time to argue this out now," Gabriel insisted. "We _cannot stop this_."

The bodyguard looked over at Ladybug, who approached the three of them quickly; his eyes went big as he realized that she was the real deal.

"Hello, again," she called to him when she got close. "Please, _please_ don't stop us. Your boss and I have a _lot_ to talk about... he's been a very, very bad boy. But right now I need complete concentration if I'm to have any hope of helping Adrien's mother. We may only get one chance at this."

The Gorilla didn't look happy... but his manner changed slightly, and he relaxed somewhat.

" _Thank_ you," smiled Ladybug. "I don't know if there's anything you can help with, but you're here now, so I'll let them fill you in."

She returned to her original position, watching her boyfriend closely. The Gorilla followed her every step with his eyes, then turned back to Gabriel, looking extremely startled. He flipped an imaginary pigtail with his finger, then made an "A" with his fingers, then mimed holding hands. He then pointed to Ladybug and Lifeline vehemently, with a questioning look on his face.

" _Yes,_ " Gabriel assured him. "Believe it or not... you brought Paris's heroes here to dinner last night. There is too much to explain right now. Remain if you choose to, and we can talk later about what this all means and how we will proceed."

He backed away slowly, hoping that its words had sunk in. The Gorilla stared hard at him, then made a brief _My eyes are on you_ gesture.

As Gabriel hustled back to return to Adrien, Nathalie gave the Gorilla a sympathetic look. "Ever feel like your life was under any of your own control?" she asked him. "Me, neither."

* * *

Lifeline's jaw was clenched tightly as he poured a steady energy stream into his mother's frame, within her cryogenic resting place. Ladybug stood behind him, her hands resting on his shoulders, reassuring him with her presence. "You're doing great, honey," she murmured in his ear. "I'm here for you. We're going to do this. Together."

"So far... so good," he grunted. "She's showing in the yellow now... Can you see anything changing inside there?"

"Not yet," Ladybug replied. "But that doesn't mean you're not helping. Slowly, now. We'll get there. I believe in you, Adrien."

The next ten minutes passed like that, a tense silence in the room broken only by Ladybug's comforting words and some hushed discussion between Gabriel and Nathalie. Nooroo hovered closely around them; Ladybug turned and looked in his direction a few times, watching his movements, making sure that there wasn't something strange going on. Nooroo noticed after a certain amount of observation, and gave her a nod and smile in return.

"This is... strange for me. I'm not usually up close where I can view my gift at work," Nooroo noted. "But he's doing great."

"It _is_ unusual. Tikki can't be out and about while I'm Ladybug," she agreed. "This doesn't weaken your powers?"

"It doesn't. And even if it did, Master could call me back if he had to."

Ladybug gave him a smile of her own. "You're going to have to break the habit of calling him that soon, you know," she told him.

"I certainly hope so," Nooroo breathed.

* * *

Around twenty minutes later, Lifeline motioned to Ladybug and his father. "I've... done all that I think I can," he muttered. "I'm pouring everything I have into her... she's just barely into the green... but she's not... waking up... and it won't budge from there."

"You're sure?" asked Gabriel. "Are you holding up all right, son?" He looked at Nooroo for confirmation, who nodded.

"I've had... more fun times... but I'm okay," replied Lifeline. "I'm not going to stop until I drop."

"Do what you can, Adrien. I'll handle the heavy lifting from here," said Ladybug.

Her voice was reassuring, but not without a slight quiver in it. Lifeline's hands remained focused on his mother, but his eyes locked onto hers as he raised his visor.

"Be _careful_ ," he begged her. "More than you've ever been before in your life. I _can't lose you_."

"I will. I _promise."_

 _"I love you."_

The words from his mouth were simple, were direct, and weren't anything that Marinette didn't know... but they were still electrifying for her to hear.

"I love you, Adrien. I always will."

They shared a kiss, trying not to divert too much of his attention away from his task, and then Ladybug stepped back. "I'll be right here," Ladybug reassured him. "I know just what to do."

Taking a deep breath, she slipped on the ring. Plagg whirled back into existence and immediately flew to Lifeline's side, hovering over him, examining every detail of the proceedings.

"I'm watching over her, too. If anyone can make this go like it's supposed to... it's her," Plagg echoed. "She's special."

"Don't I know it."

Ladybug stepped back a few meters to give herself some room. "I'm ready to begin," she called to Gabriel.

"May God be with you, child. Good luck," he replied, soberly.

She sat cross-legged on the floor, stilling her mind as Master Fu had taught her, focusing on the ordeal to come and telling her howling fears within to take a hike.

 _There is no room for doubt now, for worry, for anything but serenity,_ Ladybug told herself. _I do not hope that this will work, or think that this will work; I know that it will. I will succeed._

 _I will_ _endure._

In a small but firm voice, she said, "Plagg... claws out," and then her world exploded.

* * *

 _It will be the most disorienting experience of your life,_ Master Fu had warned her, _and that's even before it really gets started. No human being alive will have experienced quite what you will. The power is overwhelming beyond anything you could possibly imagine. With two Kwamis guiding your spirit, you will survive, but you will be sorely tested._

 _You have never done this?_ Marinette had asked.

 _Goodness, no. Nor have I ever met anyone who has. This has not happened in over five hundred years,_ he had chuckled. _I am going by the writings of my ancestors who have attempted this... and returned to tell the tale._

 _Not ominous at all, Master..._

 _Be of good spirit, Marinette,_ Fu had said. _I would not allow you to attempt this if I did not believe you were capable. You are a unique person, and one of the brightest stars I have ever seen in human form. You can do this, something that very few people who have ever lived could manage._

 _What will I have to do?_ she'd asked.

 _Ride out the initial surge of wild magic,_ he had instructed her. _It may feel like minutes, or hours, or years, I know not which, but wait it out._ _You will not hear their voices, but you will feel the presence of Tikki and Plagg in your mind, watching over you, leading you where you need to go. Creation and destruction, life and death, yin and yang._

 _Do not fight them. To struggle with these forces would tear your soul to pieces. Let yourself flow freely, be carried by the waves of power, listen to the songs they sing to you, and wait for your mind to settle. Once you feel in control of yourself once more, then and only then should you begin your recitation. Do not be premature... but do not fear. Have faith in yourself and in the spirits around you. Trust that all will be well, and it may well be._

* * *

 _He wasn't wrong!_ was Marinette's next conscious thought.

Her eyes were closed tightly, and she dared not open them, sensing mystical pyrotechnics swirling around her even through her eyelids. Marinette - she _was_ Marinette now, not Ladybug, not Lady Noire. She was herself and she was something else, something new, something completely unique in this world.

Remembering her training, she allowed her muscles and her mind to relax, like a tiny speck of wood drifting in a vast ocean. Giving up control of herself allowed her, very gradually, to reassert some of it. Marinette was beyond and above mortal comprehension in the moment, but let her memories of what was needed from her ground her inner being and give her soul a place in which to exist.

 _I am Marinette Dupain-Cheng._ _I am Ladybug. I am Lady Noire. I am myself._ _I am everything, I am nothing, I am who I am, I am what I must be._

 _I am the guide for this power. I do not claim it for myself; I shall simply lead it where it needs to go. It knows its path, as do I._

 _I am in control of myself_.

 _I am at peace._

* * *

Faintly, she heard Gabriel's voice calling to her, increasingly frantically, until Adrien's voice interrupted it. "She can't hear you," he insisted. "She's doing what she was taught to do right now."

 _I can hear you, Adrien,_ she thought, _and I love you. I can't tell you that again right now, but you know that I do._

 _For your sake... for Emilie's sake... for Paris's sake... I reach out now._

 _Hawkmoth wanted this power for himself, but he was foolish. No one person should ever possess power like this._

 _And, so, I release it. I shall share it with Emilie, and with the world._

* * *

Gabriel watched Marinette with undisguised awe, her body floating off the ground slightly, cocooned by raw magic that he dared not approach. Adrien's attention was understandably split, but he maintained his energy beam on his mother as much as he was capable of.

In a quiet voice, she spoke:

 _A woman in this room, someone dear to one I love, needs my help. Her life energy has been damaged by a Miraculous._

 _I wish to repair this damage and restore her to being the woman her son knows and loves._

 _Let my will, my energies, my love flow forth and join hers, strengthening hers, renewing hers._

 _Let us each emerge healthy, conscious and well._

 _Let us draw comfort from each other and from the ones we love around us._

 _Let no one else suffer in my place._

 _Let this be done._

* * *

The energy around her pulsed once, twice, three times; not in an explosive way, but in larger and larger waves emerging from her form. By the third wave, it was big enough to wash over Emilie's cocoon, which subsequently glowed in a soft light. Inside it, Emilie herself began radiating light as well, a soft golden hue surrounding her.

In a hushed voice, Gabriel gasped, "Adrien... what can you sense?"

"She's... they're... _it looks like it's working!_ " Lifeline exclaimed. "Mother's meter is into the green now... and still rising! Marinette's has dropped a little... maybe to around 90%... but she's stable so far."

"Divert some energy to Marinette with one hand," Gabriel suggested. "Can you that and still keep your mother strong?"

"I'll try," Lifeline replied. Splitting the energy between the two, his head whipped back and forth between them repeatedly. "I think... I think we're good!" he beamed. "Marinette's is rising... Mother's is still green, nearly full now!" He concentrated harder, and the beams from each hand shone a little brighter. "But I want them both at 100%," he insisted.

"Stay under control," said Gabriel. "Don't push so hard that you knock yourself out, but be strong. Don't let anything distract you."

"Whoaaaah," muttered Marinette, the energy shell around her dissipating rapidly and her body returning gently to the floor. A soft glow remained, much like the one surrounding Emilie.

" _Are you all right_ , _Marinette_?" Lifeline called over, without hesitation.

"M'okay... I think..." she said, very weakly. "Gotta clear m'head... really dizzy..."

Marinette reached up and took her earrings out, then removed the ring, as Master Fu had instructed her to do. _Let the Kwamis separate from you, so that you and they may each recover in your own way,_ he had said. She held the jewelry pieces together in her right palm, then closed her hand around them, feeling a steady throb from each that was on the edge of being painful.

"Nathalie... comfort Marinette," Gabriel intoned. "Be her eyes."

Nervously, Nathalie moved to Marinette's side. _That code phrase means "stand by her and watch her movements,"_ she recalled. _If everything is going well and neither one's life is in danger, I shouldn't make any sudden moves that might disrupt things... but if the two Miraculous were to fall into my lap, that would be quite a bonus._

* * *

Gabriel stepped forward for a better look inside the chamber. "What can you see?" Lifeline asked, holding his position.

"Her breathing is deeper, faster," his father said. "Her color has improved. She looks more like the Emilie we knew every minute! Come on, my dear... open your eyes..."

"Nathalie?" asked Lifeline. "Is Marinette stable?"

"She looks like it... I think," Nathalie replied. "Wait..."

"Don't... worry about... me, Adr... Adri..."

Exhaustion took its toll, inevitably. Still glowing, Marinette slumped to the floor, unconscious. As she slid down, her hand flew open, and two red earrings and a black ring bounced about two meters from her prone form.

"Nathalie... _hit and run_ ," Gabriel called, coming to full attention.

Lifeline stared at him... _hard..._ then whipped his head around towards Marinette, unable to move from the spot. "Father, what do you think you are _doing_?" he cried out.

"Ensuring our future," Gabriel said. " _Now!"_

* * *

Nathalie Sancoeur heard Gabriel's command and reacted quickly. _Grab the Miraculous, head for the elevator, get out of here while the two of them are incapacitated,_ she thought. _Adrien will be too busy revitalizing Marinette and Emilie to interfere, and I can be across town before they or anyone else can react!_

 _And what would Adrien do to stop me right now, anyway? Hit me with a healing beam? We've WON!_

Thought became action, and she began her lunge for the jewelry. A low sound was heard nearby, like some kind of musical instrument, but her entire attention was on the small totems of power. Her hand reached out to gather them up...

...and, without warning, the Miraculous jumped off the floor of their own accord, floating a meter in the air!

"Wh-hat?" gasped Nathalie, grabbing at them. Each time her hand swiped at them, the earrings and ring danced, as if some demented genie was performing invisible sleight-of-hand.

" _Grab them!"_ shouted Gabriel.

"I'm _trying!"_ Nathalie yelled back, helplessly. They floated towards the back of the room, just out of her reach, leading her on a merry chase.

" _FATHER!"_ screamed Lifeline. His beams faded in intensity as his fury rose. " _I warned you about this!"_

"Be _quiet!_ " Gabriel snapped back. "Concentrate on your healing! This is too important."

"You are not taking those, you _son of a bitch,"_ hissed Lifeline. "Marinette is _risking her life_ for you and you're still playing your little games!"

"There's nothing little about this, you... Nathalie, stop playing around! Get them and run before this all falls apart!"

Up against a back wall, the Miraculous came to a stop about two and a half meters off the ground. Nathalie reached for them, leaping off the ground, coming just short...

...and a loud voice rang out.

"SHELLTER!"

* * *

Seemingly out of nowhere, a green energy dome covered Nathalie, pinning her up against the wall across the room.

" _What in the world?"_ gasped Gabriel in disbelief.

"You really didn't think that we didn't have a contingency plan, did you?" grinned Marinette, weakly, as she pulled herself back up into a sitting position. She opened her hand again and showed the earrings and ring, still in her possession.

Nathalie gaped at that, then looked up and saw that the phantom Miraculous that she'd been chasing had blipped out of existence. _"H-how?"_ she yelled.

The air behind Marinette shimmered briefly, and where there had been nothing, two figures appeared. One was Carapace, quickly striking a defensive pose in front of her... and the other was someone whom Gabriel did not recognize, a smaller, older man in a variation on Rena Rouge's costume.

"Who in the hell are _you?"_ challenged Gabriel.

"A nine-tailed fox, at your service," a slightly accented voice replied. "A master of many things, but among them... deception."

Gabriel smirked, "Well played, well played! I think I see what has happened here, but it makes no difference! An old man and a child, who have each used their powers. All I need to do is wait a few minutes and allow you to transform back, and then I suspect that I can take both of you in your normal forms at once, if I must. And once you are disposed of..."

He took a small step forward, then stopped as a shadow fell over him, as a hundred and sixty kilograms of muscle and raw anger blocked Gabriel's path.

"Get out of my..." began Gabriel, then hesitated as he saw the look on the Gorilla's face. "...way?"

The Gorilla shook his head.

 _"MOVE!"_ Gabriel screamed. "I command you!"

A mean smile crossed the face of the Gorilla, as he clenched his fists and moved closer. It told Gabriel that this mountain would not be moved by words.

And then he was told something else...

" _No,_ " the Gorilla growled.

* * *

" _Are_ you going to be all right, Sir?" Carapace asked, very quietly. "He's not wrong; I am going to transform back soon."

"I will be fine, my boy. Trust me," the Nine-Tailed Fox smiled. "I have plenty of juice left in the tank. And as long as I'm empowered, I can keep those two away from us; they know what kind of physical strength I'd have, transformed. If you do change back, Marinette will have a snack for Wayzz in her purse; even if Gabriel transforms back to Hawkmoth, there will be two of us powered up here once more. Plus our backup plan, if it proves necessary."

Marinette stood up on slightly wobbly legs and grinned at them. "When Chat and I challenged Hawkmoth on Heroes' Day, he made fun of us because we couldn't maintain our transformation for long after using our powers," she said to Carapace. "A grown man, he said, could maintain that with ease."

"So what might someone with _a hundred and sixty years' experience_ with the Miraculous do with one?" cackled the transformed Master Fu. "I can keep a simple illusion like invisibility up for a long time, and when I need to, add a little flourish now and then. Marinette... how are you holding up? I am _beyond_ proud of you right now."

"I'm..." she began, then sank to her knees. "...not so sure, now," she muttered.

* * *

Gabriel backed away from the Gorilla, then turned his attention back to Lifeline, and was alarmed to see his son's powers visibly fading. _"Adrien!"_ he shouted. "Keep your concentration on your Mother and Marinette!"

"I _cannot believe_ that you tried to _betray us_. To betray _her_. After all this," seethed Lifeline, tears forming in his eyes. "So close to what you wanted, and you just _had_ to be a selfish, greedy bastard."

" _That is not what is important now!"_ Gabriel cried out.

"I have to say that I agree with him!" called Nine-Tailed Fox, with some urgency in his voice. "We will take care of business here; keep your emotions steady, as much as you can!"

"Yes," Lifeline agreed, bitterly. "I can't even look at him any more." He turned his back on his father and refocused his healing beams.

"What do you see?" his father shouted, desperately.

"They're..." began Lifeline, and then a sob cut his voice off as he redoubled his efforts. "They're _both dropping_ , _"_ he answered, with audible fear. "Mother's back in the yellow, barely, and Marinette is heading there..."

" _Adrien_ ," hissed Gabriel, "You need to concentrate harder! I will not allow you to risk your mother's life with a silly outburst-"

" _Don't you DARE put this on me!_ " shouted Lifeline. "We were doing fine until you decided to double-cross us and disrupted everything. Whatever happens, their blood is on _your hands!_ "

"Adrien," called Nine-Tailed Fox, "do not let him sway you. We are in a desperate moment. Concentrate with all your might!"

Hearing that, Lifeline closed his eyes and pumped as much energy as possible into his two loved ones...

...and then sank to his own knees. "I'm losing them," he sobbed. "I can barely keep them where they are now, and I can't do this at full strength much longer!"

He heard his father's voice ringing in his ears. "You can no longer split your beam," it said. "You will have to focus on one or the-"

" _I CAN'T MAKE THAT CHOICE!"_ Lifeline screamed, in complete anguish, howling like a lost soul.

He stared at Marinette, who had fear in her eyes, but nevertheless raised an arm and waved it weakly in Emilie's direction. He looked back at his mother, resting quietly in her chamber, just as she'd been when he first saw her that evening.

A desperate, wordless scream erupted from him.

* * *

Gabriel saw his son's helplessness... and his heart sank.

 _Stupid, stupid, stupid, STUPID!_ he castigated himself. _Adrien was clearly emotionally unstable from the beginning, but you just HAD to take your shot at immortality, didn't you?_

 _You have killed your wife. Your hubris nearly did it months and months ago, and now your greed has finished the job._

 _And you have killed this brave girl who only wanted to help your son._

A million thoughts flew through his head at lightning speed... distilling down into the only possible one remaining.

"Nooroo..." he called out, in pure desperation. " _Plan OMEGA."_

* * *

"You're sure?" the Kwami asked, as Gabriel slowly walked towards him under the Gorilla's watchful glare.

"I am sure. I have no other options left."

"Nooroo, what is he doing?" gasped Lifeline, trying to keep his focus steady.

"It's not what he's doing... it's what _I_ am. Point your right hand at the ground, _now_ , please," Nooroo commanded him.

Startled, Lifeline obeyed... and then was even more startled when Nooroo touched him and his powers changed abruptly!

* * *

"What did you just _do?_ " Lifeline wondered, sounding extremely uncertain. He looked himself over; the beam from his left hand was still light-colored, bathing his mother in healing radiance, but the right hand's beam was a dark and sinister purple.

"I changed you from light to dark mode," Nooroo explained. "As if you had been Akumatized. Something that only I can do, when I'm up close like this."

 _"Why?_ What can I do now?"

Nooroo flew directly in front of Lifeline's face, speaking very seriously. "Do not point your right hand at anyone unless you are _absolutely sure_ of what it will do. You can now give life to someone with one hand... or take it away with the other."

"Father, this is your doing! What did you just _do to me_?" shouted Lifeline, as he heard his father approach him.

"The only thing I can do to save the woman I love... and the young woman you love," Gabriel answered. "Keep your healing beam on your mother for now."

"I will not let Marinette-"

" _I_ will not let Marinette suffer, _"_ emphasized Gabriel, cutting him off. "You have no reason to trust me... but now you must, or all is lost."

 _What is he going to do?_ panicked Lifeline. _Drain the Gorilla, or Carapace, or Nathalie to make up the lost energy? Or Master Fu? Or ME?_

"I will not end someone else's life, Father," he managed, in a weak voice. "I'm not a killer."

"Despite all else that I am... I am not one, either," Gabriel agreed. "And you were meant for gentler things than that, Adrien."

Lifeline watched as Gabriel stood beside him, staring intently at Emilie's unmoving form. "She loves you, Adrien, even while she sleeps. And I love you very, very much. I want you to understand that, for the rest of your life."

Internally, Adrien went limp with shock. "W-what?" he gasped. "What are you saying?"

He reacted in horror as Gabriel reached down, grasped his newly dangerous right arm, and placed his hand squarely on the center of his father's chest.

* * *

The beam from Lifeline's left hand blazed as brightly as the sun, bathing Emilie in unearthly light.

 _"NO!"_

Carapace gasped and tried to charge at them, only to be cut off by Nine-Tailed Fox. "He is doing as he must," lamented the old man. "Comfort Marinette with me for now, please. She will need our strength if she is to hold on!"

For perhaps thirty seconds, perhaps a minute, Lifeline remained frozen in place, stunned into immobility by the knowledge of what was happening but unwilling to disrupt the process.

All at once, it happened...

Gabriel collapsed to the floor, wholly spent. All looked on as his form twitched once, twice, and was then unnervingly still.

Nooroo chose that moment to touch Lifeline once more, returning his powers to their original light form.

As soon as the change was visible, Nine-Tailed Fox shouted, "Both beams on Marinette, _now! Quickly!_ "

Without questioning, Lifeline obeyed.

With his back turned, he did not see the other small change to his surroundings...

...when his mother opened her eyes.

* * *

Marinette drifted in a hazy state of semi-consciousness. She knew that she was still needed, that she was in danger, that Emilie was still in danger... but as important as those things were to her, they were mere footnotes to her story now. There were a lot of things that she still wanted to do, but they could wait. They would have to wait. They couldn't be _that_ important.

Those things would be there in the morning, she was pretty sure. For now, drifting off to sleep seemed like the right call. The only possible call.

It was just a little nap... she would wake up soon, and everything would be okay...

Just a...

short rest...

* * *

Very suddenly, sleep wasn't so much of a priority for her. Energy flowed through her, reviving her, calling her back. It was like a double latte and an energy drink pouring into her, mixed with her father's finest dessert creation... the ultimate sugar rush... combined with the kind of massive jolts she had felt each time Adrien Agreste had changed her life.

The day that he'd handed her his umbrella and awoken feelings that she didn't know she could possess. The afternoon in detention when he'd asked her out on their first date. The beautiful song that he'd composed in her honor. The perfect kiss outside the bakery that night, when he'd become hers completely. A thousand other moments, big and small, subtle and intense, sweet and crazy and carefree and complicated all at once.

She felt a need, pure and perfect, consuming her will. She was needed in the waking world, intensely, urgently. Right now, she heard her name being called by her truest, dearest love.

And she needed so very, very much to answer it.

* * *

"Come back to me, Marinette," Lifeline repeated, over and over, like a mantra. "Come back to me. _You_ are _not_ going to _drift away_ from me. From all of us. _I need you,_ Marinette. Wake up for me. Come back."

Both hands were holding her sides, pouring life-giving energy into her at point-blank range. The de-transformed Nino held her head up, keeping it off the hard floor; Master Fu had his hand on her forehead and was mumbling words in Chinese. Whether they were some form of incantation or simple prayers, Lifeline didn't know, but he wasn't about to stop and ask.

 _"Please,"_ he begged. "I don't know how much of this I have left in me... you're in the green, you should be close, _I need you_ , Marinette..."

Slowly...

Her eyes opened, a crack at first, and then wide.

* * *

"Hi," she breathed.

* * *

All at once, Lifeline fell onto her, holding on tight, nearly knocking her head out of Nino's grasp, his hands still projecting healing into her. " _Oh, my God,_ Marinette, I was _so scared_ , you were so _still,_ I was sure I'd _lost you_ and I couldn't let that _happen-"_

"If you think you're ever going to be without me, you're crazy," said Marinette, with a lazy grin. She tried to sit up, failed, and gratefully allowed Nino and Lifeline to help her.

Nine-Tailed Fox breathed a loud sigh of relief and plopped down on the floor himself. With a word in Chinese, he transformed back to Master Fu and laid down flat.

"Are _you_ all right, Master?" asked Lifeline, with Marinette turning her head his way and looking very worried.

"I am, I am! I am just... exhausted," Fu waved them off. "The Fox is not a taxing transformation, but I have not maintained one that long in many decades, and I'm not as young as I used to be."

"What were you then, a hundred and thirty?" giggled Marinette, gently.

"Hey! Watch it," he snarled, good-naturedly.

"You're all right with transforming here, in front of... them?" wondered Lifeline.

"I sense that their threat has passed," Fu replied. "Not that we won't be collecting the Moth before we leave, and making sure of some other things."

Abruptly, Lifeline's transformation blipped out, returning him to being Adrien. Marinette nudged him gently and handed him back his ring. "Remember, we're not to transform again for at least a week," she reminded him.

"I could use the vacation," Adrien admitted. "But... wait! If I've lost my Lifeline powers... what about my _mother?_ "

Gently, Fu smiled. "See for yourself," he pointed, then laid back down.

* * *

Adrien turned around...

He saw his father lying motionless on the floor, flat on his back, with Nathalie tending to him with a very frightened look on her face.

He saw an empty preservation chamber...

And he saw the Gorilla, with a blonde-haired figure in his muscular arms...

...looking down at her husband with wonder and alarm.

* * *

"Go to them," murmured Marinette. "Nino's got me, I'll be okay. I'm not going anywhere."

Adrien stood up slowly and walked towards his family, feeling like he was drifting through some kind of strange dream. He reached his father first, and could see immediately that Gabriel was at least still breathing; that much was good. He sensed from Nathalie's state of alarm that not much else was, though.

"I... I'm so sorry," Nathalie burbled. "I was... he needed me to..."

"Not now, please. I can't," begged Adrien. He reached down and touched his father's cheek, which was definitely still warm. "Do you think he's...," he trailed off.

"I-I'm not sure," she stammered. "He looks like he's just sleeping... but I can't wake him! Should I call for an ambulance?"

"I do not know if they could help a mystical ailment," said a voice from across the room. Master Fu lifted himself up and gestured for Nathalie's attention. "I will examine him and see what can be done."

At Nathalie's questioning gaze, Adrien managed a small smile. "If anyone can help, he can," he assured her. He turned his head at the sound of approaching footsteps...

Very gingerly, Emilie was being let down into a standing position, wobbling quite a bit. "Be careful," Nathalie told her. "You've been motionless for quite some time; your muscles will be very weak."

"I... I see what you mean," Emilie said. "Thank you. How... long was I out for? And what in the world did Gabriel _do_ to bring me back? What has _happened to him?_ "

Master Fu looked up at her with a sad smile. "Mrs. Agreste, it is a long and complicated story. Suffice it to say that where the Miraculous that you and Gabriel discovered failed... the two most powerful succeeded."

"Oh," she replied, thoughtfully. "And that would be... Marinette?"

She looked across the room and saw the young woman being tended to a short distance away. Seeing that, Marinette tried to stand, but her own legs buckled underneath her; Nino caught her before she fell.

"Easy!" cautioned Nino.

"I know, I know! But... whoa," she managed, nearly falling again. "My... legs aren't working right... I'm... not right..."

Marinette looked at Adrien, then both looked at Master Fu with alarm...

"Likely not permanent," Fu replied, trying to be reassuring. "Marinette, you have been through the shock of a lifetime tonight. Of many lifetimes! Just standing up right now is a testament to your strength."

She and Emilie wobbled towards each other, extremely unsteadily. "Aren't we a pair?" smiled Emilie.

"Seems so," Marinette said. "I know who you are, Mrs. Agreste, but we've never been introduced... for obvious reasons..."

"I can't help but know you, dear," replied Emilie. "I was lost in an endless dream, wandering through the unknown for what seemed like forever... and, suddenly, there was this presence alongside me in my mind. A sweet young woman whom I'd never met, but was the best friend I could ever imagine right from the start. A girl who shared herself with me, who simply wanted to help me escape, who gave up a piece of herself to allow that to happen." Choked up with emotion, she paused. "I have no idea how on earth I will ever repay you."

"It was my choice. I'm just glad that it worked," answered Marinette. "And I didn't do it alone, ma'am."

Emilie turned and followed Marinette's gaze... and saw her son standing there, somehow still standing upright, with tears streaming down both cheeks.

"...Adrien!" she gasped.

Her arms opened, he ran into them and wrapped around her tightly... and that was the end of his ability to think for a long, long while.

* * *

While their emotional reunion continued, Marinette gave them a little space and returned her attention to Master Fu. "What do you think?" she asked him.

Fu shook his head. "I fear that Gabriel and Emilie have... exchanged places, if you will. That her timeless dream is now his, at least for now. Now that I have seen it firsthand, that I have the Peacock to study, and that the threat of Hawkmoth has ended... well, there may be more possibilities. I can make no promises now, though."

"I see," shuddered Nathalie. "I can't say that we hadn't considered that this could happen... What will become of me?"

"A very good question," Marinette said, glaring at her. "You are not the mastermind behind all of this, but you've certainly played a major part."

"We will discuss that in good time," Fu interrupted. "Madam, this would be a good time for you to help us restore order here and score some positive points, for a change."

"And as for you..." he told the fallen Gabriel, then reached out and removed the purple brooch from his lapel. Nooroo fluttered out of visibility briefly, then reappeared as the brooch was fastened onto Fu's Hawaiian shirt.

"You are free, little one," Fu whispered.

"I feel it," Nooroo gasped. "Master Fu... I am so sorry..."

"None of this was your fault," the old man soothed. "We both know that. And you will play a great role in healing what damage has been done."

* * *

A few minutes later, he turned to face Emilie and Adrien, who were side-by-side and approaching the fallen Gabriel.

"Adrien has told me much of... well... what has led up to this," said Emilie, quietly. "What lines he crossed trying to revive me... and what price he paid to succeed. Sir, is there any hope?"

"As I just told Marinette and Nathalie... I will do all that I can. It is too soon to be sure. What just happened tonight... I do not suggest trying the power of the Wish like this again, unfortunately," he apologized. "This was far too dangerous, and Gabriel has paid a very dear price for his decisions. And the Wish _might_ be the only thing that could succeed."

"I'm not... altogether clear on a lot of this yet," Emilie admitted. "But I owe all of you my life. I can't help but trust you now."

Abruptly, she froze in place, then looked at the group with surprise on her face.

"What is it?" asked Adrien. "Are you okay?"

"I... think so?" said Emilie. "But I could have sworn that... as clear as day... Gabriel just spoke to me. Saying that I _should_ trust you."

Everyone looked down at Gabriel... then back up at Emilie.

"Darling, I _am_ listening to you," Emilie continued. "We're not going to have one of our little arguments... not _now!..."_

Her face searched the others' for comprehension... and found none.

"...You didn't _hear_ that?" she asked, in a timid voice.

Silence followed.

* * *

Next time: Our epilogue. To all things, an ending.

* What _is_ the true fate of Gabriel Agreste?

* What does the city of Paris need to know... and what must remain hidden?

* What will be needed for Marinette and Adrien to recover from this ordeal... physically _or_ emotionally?

* What will be the new status quo going forward, on many levels?

* Will a Bug and Cat still protect the streets of Paris?

* What will Marinette say to her parents about any of this?

* And many other questions... and their answers.


	24. When Home Is More Than Just A Place

Someone To Watch Over Me, Chapter 24: When Home Is More Than Just A Place

* * *

A chill ran down the spine of Adrien Agreste. After what those present had just been through this evening, he wouldn't have bet that anything left on Earth could surprise him... but his mother's words definitely did the trick.

He stared down at his fallen father's form. Other than slow breathing, there was no sign of movement in him, and certainly no words coming from his mouth. But his mother sounded so _sure_ of what she'd just heard, and her state of confusion was obvious to all.

"Mother... you've been through an unimaginable ordeal," Adrien ventured. "Are you sure that you're... not just..."

Emilie backed up a couple of steps, then hesitated before dropping down to her knees. The Gorilla ran over to support her as she reached a sitting position on the floor, holding her head with both hands.

"I don't understand _any of this_ ," she mumbled. "I can see him just lying there... his voice is weak, but it's _there,_ he's speaking to me _right now!_ Telling me not to be afraid... but _he_ sounds afraid... if he's even _real_... what is _wrong with me?_ "

Master Fu knelt by her side. "Madam... you are _not insane_ , I assure you. Strange and powerful forces have affected all of us tonight, and nearly anything is possible. With your permission, I would like to bring you upstairs and examine you to ascertain what has happened."

Before she could answer, he added, "Examine you with your _clothes on_ , to be sure. I am a mystic and an herbalist, not one who plays doctor."

"I... if you think you can help, I'll go with you. But what about my husband?" She stared down at Gabriel once more... then gasped, "Oh!"

"Madam?" asked Fu.

Emilie looked up at the Gorilla, whose face was also full of concern, then back at Fu. "Can we get Gabriel into the chamber that I had been in? He thinks that it's his best chance, and that if nothing else, it will preserve him as it did me."

"Hold on," Fu interjected. "Nooroo, Wayzz... examine him, please, since Tikki is unavailable. Can you detect anything physically wrong that would require immediate medical attention?"

The two Kwamis came forth and buzzed around Gabriel. Emilie's face lit up with recognition. "I... know you. You're Nooroo, right?" she asked the purple Kwami, who gave her a nod before resuming his examination. "The green one, I'm not sure of, but Nooroo was my husband's... when we... ah." She shuddered, briefly. "The... blue one isn't here, is she?"

"Duusu is resting at the moment. The Peacock Miraculous-"

Emilie recoiled at the very words. " _Do not_ let that thing anywhere near me," she cried out, fearfully.

"The Peacock is in my purse, and it's not coming out again here," Marinette assured her. "And you can be sure that Duusu did not hurt you on purpose. No Kwami would."

"Just... promise me, okay?" Emilie worried.

"Absolutely. It might provide us with clues as to how to help both of you," Fu noted, "but it will not be used again without determining what is wrong with it first. Well?" he asked, looking at the returning Kwamis.

"His symptoms are identical to those of Mistress," Nooroo reported. "I mean... Emilie. Apart from that, he is physically unharmed."

"Good enough, then. I do not know if the chamber will help him, but as he noted, it probably can't hurt," conceded Fu. "And it's a better idea than anything else I have right now."

The two men lifted Gabriel up off the ground, at which point the Gorilla hefted him up like a sack of flour. He laid Gabriel down in the preservation chamber, closed the glass door and stepped back, clearly having no idea how to operate it.

"Nathalie... do you know how this works?" asked Adrien, pointing at the chamber.

"Not a clue. This had been here for a while when I first learned of it," Nathalie replied.

With an odd look on her face, Emilie stepped forward and began tinkering with its settings. "Safety interlocks 1 - 3 - 7. Pressure to 45. No, 50. Humidity control active. Biometric sensors on... bank 1... bank 2..."

"That should do it," she smiled, turning back to her son.

"How did you do that?" marveled Adrien.

Her face went slack once more. "...I have no idea," admitted Emilie.

* * *

While waiting for the elevator, Marinette wobbled her way over to Master Fu and tugged at his sleeve. "Master... I just realized that I haven't checked on Tikki since the Wish. I know not to transform, but is it safe to put the earrings back on yet?"

Fu considered the question. "...Hold off for now," he instructed her. "It should be okay just to manifest her, but in all probability she would be fast asleep and remain that way. Better to leave her dormant for now."

"She _will_ be okay, right?" worried Marinette.

"It will take time, but yes. She is as shaken up as you are, and more so. But you, Marinette... you have your own decision to make," noted Fu, looking her over once more. "You can barely stand, let alone walk. I can't bring you home in this compromised state."

"Y-yeah," Marinette gulped. "I have never felt this weak in my life."

"You've never been missing part of your life energy before," Fu said, then added quickly, "Which is not as dramatic as it sounds, I assure you! You are young and spirited. With a little time, rest and love, you will regenerate it easily. And I believe I have a plan for additional therapy, one that you will like, but nothing I can do will restore you this evening."

The implications sank in for Marinette quickly. "What am I going to tell my parents if I can't go home?" she gasped. "'Hi, Mom and Dad, never mind how shaky my voice sounds, I know that I disappeared without a word but I'm sleeping over at Adrien's tonight.' I bet that would go over well."

"Or 'There's this little Chinese man you've never met, but I'm sleeping at HIS place tonight.' Even better," sympathized Fu. "And yet I feel that it would be your best option. I dread the idea of you going up and down the stairs in your home in your condition, the Agrestes have plenty to sort out amongst themselves, and I have some herbal treatments that might soothe your soul a bit. As for your parents..."

Marinette looked at him, wordlessly, visibly shaken.

"If it is time, child... it is time," he soothed her. "But I would not force it upon you. It is a choice for you to make, not me, especially now."

* * *

Fu ascended up the elevator platform with Emilie. Adrien moved in quickly to support Marinette, once Fu had stepped away from her. "I gotcha," he whispered in her ear as he cradled her from behind.

"You'd better," Marinette said, appreciatively. "How are you holding up?"

"Physically... I'm shaking. Emotionally... I have no idea. I think my brain switched to autopilot half an hour ago," Adrien admitted. "But you're the one I'm worried about now."

"I'm... I won't lie and say that I'm fine," said Marinette, slowly. "Because I'm really not, and Master Fu says it'll take some time for me to recover. And my parents..."

Adrien mentally calculated that, and stiffened. "I will go home with you and I will tell them _everything,"_ he insisted. "Everything except for your secret. We'll figure out some kind of cover story, how you were the perfect spiritual match for my mother and somehow Chat Noir found that out, and he came and got you, and..."

"Adrien..." she stopped him. "I can't avoid this. Not this time. It's okay."

"Then I will be right there next to you when you tell them, no matter what it is that you're going to tell them..."

" _Adrien_..." Marinette smiled, knowingly. "You have your mother upstairs for the first time in two years. I don't want you to leave her side tonight! You have ten billion things to talk about."

"Are you sure?" wondered Adrien. "This could be one of the biggest nights of your life."

"If this isn't _the_ biggest, after everything that just happened, I'm terrified," she giggled, but quickly sobered up again. "It's... I knew I would have to do this someday. And maybe if they know that the threat of Hawkmoth is over now, they won't be so worried once they know."

"They're parents! Of course they will be. You call or text me for support, I'm _serious,_ okay?" he insisted.

The elevator platform returned to the bottom chamber. The Gorilla stood behind them, waiting patiently. As they started to move, he tapped Adrien on the shoulder, and both teens turned his way.

"Oh... hi," Adrien managed, bashfully. "I suppose that you're a little surprised by all of this..." He put his fingers across his face, simulating a domino mask, as he added, " _mask_ stuff _..."_

He and Marinette were startled out of their shoes when the big man swept the two of them up in a giant, swinging bear hug.

Along with a short squeal, Marinette managed a breathless "... _you're welcome!_ " before being returned to the ground.

* * *

As they reached the top floor, they encountered Fu and Emilie sitting across from each other in one of the reception areas, with Fu testing her reactions to various stimuli. Marinette moved in a bit closer, while Adrien stepped aside to talk things over with Nino, who was standing alone and looking a bit uncomfortable.

"No, I don't think he can take control," they heard Emilie say as they approached. "Or even close to it. Downstairs, with the controls for the chamber, he didn't do that himself... he was guiding me with his voice, I was vocalizing what he said to make sure I got it right, but I was still the one doing it." She shrugged, "He's more like... it's a little voice in the back of my head. It's not all the time, just when he has something to say. I think I can tune him out if I have to, but right now I don't want to." She paused, then smiled, "What do you mean, what do I mean 'if I have to?' You know very well why, darling."

Fu did his best not to roll his eyes at their banter, even if he could only hear one side of it. "Gabriel... try to move Emilie's right arm, if you can," he instructed.

Emilie remained motionless.

"All right. Emilie, stretch your right arm out across the table. Gabriel, stop her from doing so."

Fu watched as Emilie reached out towards him, nearly touching him. He nodded slightly, taking mental notes.

"Can you think of any explanation for his... presence?" she asked him.

"Nooroo, what exactly did you do to Adrien's powers when Gabriel had you modify them?" Fu asked, turning his way.

Nooroo fluttered to where both of them could see him easily. "The original powers were simply healing. Projecting positive energy. The modification projected that with the left hand, but sucked it away with the right. I thought he was going to, I don't know, sweep it across everyone in the room and steal a little from everybody... or choose one victim." He shuddered in place. "I had no idea that he would... turn it on _himself!"_

"So Gabriel had a mystic vacuum at his chest for a full minute, sucking raw life energy out of him and projecting it into Emilie." Fu looked disturbed by the notion. "That was... remarkably altruistic for a man who had done what he did a moment earlier."

Emilie's face darkened a bit as she listened. "He says that it wasn't his Plan A by a long shot," she said. "But it was all he could think of to keep Marinette and I from dying." She paused again to listen, and her eyes moistened. "He doesn't regret it, he says. Because he didn't want a life without me in it."

"The fact that I am indirectly speaking with him now, and that his body is preserved downstairs as yours was, tells me that he is anything _but_ dead," noted Fu. "He projected more of himself than he anticipated into you with his final actions. Which may not be comforting for either of you, but it beats the alternative."

"He's asking... in that case, what _am_ I? Am I a ghost, a soul, a set of brain patterns imprinted onto hers?" asked Emilie, white-faced.

"My answer is... I do not know. Not yet. Nor do I have any idea how to get you _out_ , Mr. Agreste. Short of another Wish, and after what we experienced this evening..." Fu's face was solemn. "I cannot allow my young friends to attempt that ever again."

"He does not want you to," said Emilie, after a pause. "He has accomplished his goal, in bringing me back, and in this way he can be close to me at least in spirit. Literally. And looking down at your own inert body has a way of... challenging a person's priorities and worldview, he says."

"I see. And, Emilie, are _you_ comfortable with his playing passenger inside your mind, so to speak?" asked Fu.

"Do I have much of a choice?" she replied. "But... yes, I am. I guess I am... I'll be honest... I don't entirely know what to think yet. To mean so much to someone that he'd do the things that he did to bring me back is breathtaking... and yet, how _horrifying_ many of those things were... _"_

"The two of you had two magical nuclear bombs in your hands when the accident happened, without an instruction manual. It is a minor miracle that _Tibet_ is still standing," Fu chided them. "But I do not wish to weigh penance at a time like this when, clearly, a price has already been paid twice over. I would rather consider how we can make the best of the situation before us. For your sake, and certainly for Adrien's."

"Well, that is quite the puzzle," Emilie sighed. "I've been... well, _gone_ for nearly two years? I hope that I'm not legally dead! I'll have all kinds of explaining to do as to where I was, and why, and why I'm back now, and where my husband is... and the fashion house? Without Gabriel's oversight, I don't know if that will have any kind of future. I know a little, but I'm an actress, not a CEO or a design expert."

"Ahem," coughed Marinette, intruding gently. "I... kind of have an idea about some of that. And maybe a way to keep the Agreste family name in a better light. It might not be my place to suggest it, but..."

"I can see how that would appeal to you," Fu teased her. "Seeing as how it might be your own last name one day."

Emilie raised an eyebrow. Adrien's eyes went huge, while Marinette turned an indescribable shade of red.

"That is _not_ what I am thinking about, and besides, we've only been officially dating for less than a _WEEK!_ " she squeaked.

* * *

The elevator platform whirred once more, this time bringing Nathalie and the Gorilla to the surface. Nathalie's face hinted that she hadn't been so much accompanied by the family bodyguard as directed, lest the "carried" option come next.

To the inquisitive looks from the table, Nathalie sighed and responded, "I was... saying my goodbyes to Gabriel, for now."

Fu waved to her. "Come here, please. We, too, have much to talk about. Both what we ought to do about you and measuring what damage has been done to you."

Cautiously, she took a seat at the table, giving Emilie a nervous look. For her part, Emilie did not appear to look unkindly upon her.

"I am the Guardian of the Miraculous, Nathalie. I am not a policeman... but I am fully capable of punishing those who misuse these ancient tools," Fu began.

At his words, Emilie listened, then said quietly, "Yes, dear. You knew that's who he was from the moment you saw him. Shush now, the man's talking!" to herself.

"This is not an interrogation right now, or evidence for the police to use against you," Fu continued. "This is for all of our benefit. You have seen the workings of Hawkmoth more closely than anyone but himself, and you have played your own role in his attacks. And I don't need a Kwami to examine you to know that, physically, you have also suffered from the Peacock's malfunction."

She nodded, silently.

"I am not offering forgiveness or absolution. Those... only Marinette and Adrien can choose to give you, if that is their choice to do so. But what I can offer is that if we help each other understand this situation in full, we will all stand a chance of a better life for all concerned coming out of this. For your health, for Emilie's, for any chance that Gabriel may have... and for Adrien. Will you cooperate with us?"

Nathalie did not hesitate long. "I will," she replied, in a somber voice. "I really don't know what else I can do right now."

* * *

Slowly, haltingly, Nathalie provided her perspective on Gabriel's rise and fall as Hawkmoth. There were details that the group knew about, and discussed back and forth; there were some that made Adrien gasp and Marinette react with surprise. On occasion, Nathalie looked over at Emilie while speaking, as if asking Gabriel's permission to disclose certain things; Emilie's face remained impassive.

"You knew that the Peacock was the cause of Emilie's malady," Fu asked at one point. "You knew that it would inflict similar damage on you in time, if used."

"I did. Gabriel warned me about it many times, and when I used it against you on Heroes' Day, it was against his wishes," Nathalie agreed.

"Why?" Adrien asked, earnestly. "What was so important that you would literally _hurt yourself_ to battle us?"

"A couple of things," Nathalie said. "One of them is sitting at this table now. Emilie was so important to him, I felt compelled to do everything I could to help him."

"That doesn't sound like just a loyal employee speaking," Fu chided her.

"It... wasn't just that," she conceded. "I had quite a bit invested in my career here with Agreste Fashion... and personally, with Gabriel and Adrien. I could see both of them hurting every day. I was trusted by them to help them in so many ways. I truly felt like part of the household. Adrien," she continued, turning to him, "I am not your mother. I could never replace her, and I am very glad that she's now back in your life. But in the role that I played... I felt very close to you, even though I kept some professional distance. I hope that you felt something of the same."

Adrien considered his words carefully. "You've been an important presence in my life in Mother's absence. I can't argue that," he offered.

"And as for Gabriel himself..."

Nathalie looked down and closed her eyes.

"...I was in love with him. I can say that now, I suppose."

Feeling the silence around her, she forced herself to meet Emilie's gaze. "I was also keenly aware that Gabriel was a married man, Emilie, and I kept our relationship professional from start to finish. I have done some terrible things with Gabriel... but I am not a homewrecker. That, you need not worry about."

Emilie remained silent for a moment. "I can tell that she's telling the truth, Gabriel... but thank you for confirming that," she said to herself, then refocused on Nathalie.

"But I felt so much _pain_ in that man. So much feeling bottled up that he refused to let anyone see. And Adrien was much the same way; he internalizes pain, tries to be stoic and overcome it rather than let his emotions out. And every day had its own trials to overcome. I've... I've never been what anyone would call a caring or thoughtful person," Nathalie said, her voice cracking a bit. "But I couldn't help but feel the two of them suffering... and in my own way, I wanted to be here and help them. Both of them."

"I don't want to go to jail," she concluded. "I suppose that I deserve it. I was caught up in the ride, but I chose to play a part, to be a villain. I hurt people in the process... and I'm sorry about that, if that matters." Turning to face Adrien, she added, "And especially you, Adrien. When your father was trying to... break you for his grand purpose... I tried to soften it sometimes. I _swear_ I did. But I knew what he was doing, and I said nothing to you, and that was a terrible betrayal of you. I'm so, so sorry."

All eyes turned to Adrien, who was visibly shaken.

"I... I need to think about this," he said, finally. "I'm overwhelmed beyond belief right now, and this is one more thing on top of the pile, and the pile is burning."

"Very understandable," Fu noted. "You can take what time you need to consider this."

"If we do hold off deciding that for now, Nathalie..." Marinette asked, "...can we trust you to help piece things back together here? Emilie will need guidance to start putting her life back together, to begin with. The business needs day-to-day orders, and you were Gabriel's right-hand woman for that. You know what it takes to keep the fashion house upright in the short term. You could do a lot to keep things from collapsing here."

She stared hard at Nathalie. "If we give you that trust... can we assume that you won't be acting on what you now know? Not to make this sound like we're threatening you, but I have my own family to consider. I don't want to be looking over my shoulder, wondering if you'll be looking for revenge... or targeting Adrien again, either."

"I'll behave, I promise," replied Nathalie. "I have far more reasons to cooperate than to do anything else, and nothing to gain from plotting anything. My very life may depend on your help, Mr. Fu. Marinette, I know that you and Adrien didn't hurt Gabriel... you gave him what he wanted more than anything else. And you may not believe me... but I do want to _try_ to make some amends."

"An answer that I can live with for now. You will be watched, be sure of that. I do hope that you are sincere," noted Fu.

* * *

"And as for my father's body, downstairs?" asked Adrien, quietly.

Fu's lack of response provided no comfort to him.

"I'm... I'm telling myself that he's not dead. That my mother was in a similar state... and she's right here, warm and alive and with me now. That she can summon up some sort of... _spirit_ of Father in her mind, and I'm going to be spending years trying to work _that_ out!" shuddered Adrien.

"That makes two of us," Emilie half-smiled.

"But if the Wish is no longer an option... and thank goodness for that..." Adrien continued, "...is there any hope for him, Master? To come back the way that he was? To wake up?"

Fu bowed his head, solemnly. "I cannot know yet. It may take months for me to work out what to do about the Peacock, to gauge what damage Nooroo's altered powers did to him, or whether he truly is in the same state that Emilie was in. It might take years. I might never find that answer."

Adrien held it together through willpower alone. "I understand," he said.

"I will try, child. I promise you that. For now, it is a minor miracle that we are where we are at now, where your mother has returned to the living and your father still exists in any form."

"I'm as shaken as you are, Adrien," Emilie told him. "Do you think that we can help each other stand back up, and try and be a family again, whatever that will mean for us?"

"I want that very much," Adrien smiled back at her.

* * *

"All right. I think we've done everything that we can here tonight," Fu declared. "Madam, I would recommend a good night's sleep in your own bed tonight... if that's possible for you, after all of this. Nathalie, you can help prepare the staff for the change in management, that Gabriel will be absent indefinitely but that Emilie has returned. It would be prudent to keep Gabriel's sort-of survival a secret between those in this room for now. One step at a time regarding that. Are we all agreed on that?"

He scanned the room and got general agreement from those present, including Gabriel himself, according to Emilie.

"Adrien... may I borrow the Cat ring from you, temporarily?" Fu asked, extending a hand in his direction. Adrien handed it over, looking a bit reluctant.

"My boy, do not worry. The ordeal of the Wish has knocked Tikki and Plagg for quite a loop, and I suspect that the best thing for them for a few days will be the company of their fellow Kwamis. They know better than we mortals do what they need. When he is ready, Plagg will return to your side; I promise you that."

"I'm very glad to hear it. We can still be Ladybug and Chat Noir, even without a Hawkmoth?" Adrien asked.

"Should you want to... of course you may. Your heroic identities do a world of good for this city, with or without superbattles taking place... and I sense that you and Plagg would miss each other terribly. But we will discuss this over the next few days; there may be other changes in which you may play a role," Fu smiled.

He turned to Nino. "And as for you, young man... I have one last duty for you tonight."

"A-anything you need, Sir," Nino stammered.

"Do you think you can play taxi for us once more?" asked Fu. "Marinette cannot transform for the near future, and if I try it again so soon I may pass out. Traveling via Carapace to my home would be much easier than taking the bus. Wayzz has had his snack, so he should be ready."

"That, I can do," Nino agreed. "Wayzz... shell on!"

Transforming, he allowed Fu to hold onto him and wrapped one arm around him. Marinette lingered for a moment, saying a few quiet words up close with Adrien... then moved to Carapace's side, allowing him to scoop her up as well. With goodbyes said, he bounded out the front door to deliver his cargo via Rooftop Express.

The four remaining in the room, Emilie, Adrien, Nathalie and the Gorilla, gave each other a long look.

"I think we all have a million questions right now," Emilie ventured. "Maybe you all could show me around the house, so I can start catching up and see what you've done with it, and we can all talk this out as much as we can right now?"

The group moved off in the direction of the atelier, with a feeling between them that despite all of the evening's insanity... somehow, this was the beginning of a better future for them all.

* * *

As they arrived at Master Fu's studio, Fu let go of Carapace and stepped aside. Marinette lingered, and wrapped him up in a less hanging-on-for-dear-life hug.

" _Thank you,_ Nino," she beamed. "You did just what we needed down there. Your presence might've been the difference between what happened and total disaster."

"There's no way I could say no, once I knew what was at stake," Carapace grinned. "Plus, Adrien's my _bro!_ And you've been my good friend for years. No way I could let you down."

He looked a trifle uneasy after a moment. "I, uh, will have to explain to Alya why I blew off our movie date tonight, though," he mentioned.

"Tell her that Ladybug needed Carapace tonight, and she'll understand. It's the truth, but for now, hold off on the _whole_ truth, please?" asked Marinette. "I will bring Alya more into the loop soon, I promise, but for now we're still figuring things out. I don't think she'd put my picture on the LadyBlog as LADYBUG REVEALED!, but... just in case," she grinned.

"You got it," Nino agreed. "Are _you_ going to be all right, Marinette?"

Marinette looked at Fu before answering that. "I... hope so," she said, quietly.

"You will. Of that, I am certain," Fu assured her.

With a wave, Carapace bounded away towards his own house, and the pair entered Master Fu's studio, Marinette still on very wobbly legs.

"He deserves so much more than just a hug," noted Marinette. "He took a big risk being there tonight."

"And he will get it, I promise you! I suspect that Adrien really will let him have a turn at being Chat Noir now and then, should Nino want to. Or if he has other ideas regarding the Miraculous, he's earned his position in our inner circle," Fu declared. "In the meantime, I have a spare bedroom for just such an emergency, Marinette. I will set it up for you. Anything your heart desires in the meantime, I will provide."

"I appreciate that," said Marinette. "I didn't want to show it in front of everyone... but I'm barely standing up."

"Before we do anything else," ventured Fu, "there is one thing that we should do." He led her to the back room and activated the secret controls on his Victrola, causing the Miracle Box to come forth. "If you would like to tuck Tikki and Plagg into bed, so to speak... the honor is yours."

"Is it safe to..." she asked, trailing off, to which Fu nodded, handing her Adrien's ring.

"Do not activate both at once, obviously, or that would be the end of them and you! But one at a time, without transforming, should not trouble them."

With that, Marinette slipped the black ring onto one of her fingers... and lunged forward to catch a small, falling black object.

"Hey!" she cried, out of surprise. She found a sleeping Plagg curled into a ball, resting quietly in her outstretched hands.

"I don't think you can hear me," Marinette whispered to him, "but you did it! Emilie is awake, Adrien is safe. Gabriel is out of commission, and Hawkmoth is finished. So rest up, because Adrien can't wait to see you again."

The Kwami's response was continued light snoring... and, she could swear, a hint of a smile. Satisfied, she removed the ring and sat it and Plagg in their place within the Miracle Box.

Rather than put the earrings all the way in her ears... she simply held them in her hand and willed them to be hers once more. Gently, she caught the sleeping Tikki and cradled her closely.

"Hey," Marinette whispered. "You were completely right about all the danger and how risky all of that was tonight... but we did it, Tikki. We saved Emilie _and_ Paris! We're both worn out, but we're safe. So whether you can hear me or not... sweet dreams. You've more than earned them. I love you! I hope to see you again soon."

She leaned down and kissed Tikki's forehead, very lightly, then placed the Kwami and the earrings into the Miracle Box. Once the Kwamis had faded into the pocket dimension within, she closed the box and allowed herself to take her first opportunity in a long while... to simply relax.

* * *

As Fu led Marinette to his spare room and encouraged her to lie down and rest, she looked at him with worry. "You... know what I have to do now, right?" she asked him.

"I do. And I have no objections," Fu replied. "I know that you would not say such things if they were not worthy of trust, and now that the immediate threat is over, more things are possible."

"But what... what am I allowed to tell them about _you_?" she worried.

"Again... as strange as it may seem for me to say... I will trust your judgment," he said. "There are some things that would be very difficult to explain without describing my role in them, yes? I will be here when you speak with them, and will add to the conversation as is needed."

"All right. If you're sure." At his nod, Marinette took out her phone... took a _very_ deep breath... and dialed her mother's number.

"Hi, Mom. I have... something that I need to explain to you. Something very important," she began, once her mother picked up.

"You're darn right you do!" Sabine complained. "I came up to ask you something after dinner and you were nowhere to be found! Not a word! And this is hardly the first time for that, either!"

Marinette allowed her mother to vent briefly, then continued. "Mom... I need you and Dad to come meet me somewhere tonight. Right now, if you can."

That stopped her mother in her tracks. "No... no, I'm _not_ in trouble. It's not Adrien's house, and it's not the police station or the hospital either. I - hold on, Mom - I need to - I need to finish this thought, Mom," Marinette stammered. "It's something I can't tell you over the phone, and it's not bad... I don't think that you'll think it's bad... but there are reasons that I need you to hear it where I am right now."

"And where is _that?"_ asked Sabine, her parental radar on high alert.

Quickly, Marinette described the location of Fu's studio and how to get there. "Can you come right away?" she asked her.

"I'll get your father to drive us over. I don't think he'll be any happier about this than I am, but... you're sure this is necessary?" replied Sabine.

"I promise, it is. I don't want either of you to worry, okay? Just trust me on this."

After hanging up, Marinette looked up at Fu as if she'd just swallowed a frog. "No turning back now," she whimpered.

"Indeed," Fu replied, kindly. "I feel that this is for the best, though. I will help you through it. For the moment... please lie down. You're weak enough already; I would rather have them find you in this spare bed than on the floor."

* * *

Several minutes later, a loud knock at the door of Fu's studio brought him running. He opened the door to a tall, burly man and his petite wife, both visibly agitated.

"Come in, come in," Fu gestured, intent on keeping this meeting as calm as possible. "Welcome! My name is Fu Wang. I am a friend of your daughter's."

They stepped inside, but remained hesitant. "I... we have met before, haven't we?" asked Sabine, suspiciously. "Not here, though."

"I have bought my share of baked goods from your shop," Fu agreed. "I am a very happy customer of yours, but that is not why we are here now."

"And why _are_ we here now?" wondered Tom, searching the front room for signs of his daughter's presence. "And how is it that you know Marinette?"

"It will be easier if she explains that part. You will understand why, shortly. It is nothing improper, I assure you... and, in fact, something about her of which you will be _most_ proud."

He led Marinette's parents into the studio and around the corner to the spare room... where Sabine gasped and ran immediately to Marinette's side upon seeing her.

" _Marinette!_ " she gasped, kneeling next to her. "What has happened to you? You look like you've just run a marathon!"

Warding off Sabine's accusatory stare and Tom's look of worry, and wary of Tom pounding him into the ground like a tent stake, Fu backpedaled a bit. "Your daughter is not injured as you would understand it... merely exhausted beyond belief. She has done something amazing tonight, an incredible good with ramifications for all of Paris," he declared.

"...Can you explain that?" Tom asked, first looking at Fu and then at his daughter.

"I... saved someone's life tonight," Marinette said, forcing the words out of her mouth... "...and ended the threat of Hawkmoth. For good."

The look of astonishment on Marinette's parents' faces would have been record-setting, had someone been there from the Guinness Book of World Records.

"I, um, took the liberty of bringing three chairs into this room," invited Fu. "Please, sit down. This will require more than a little explanation."

* * *

As they reluctantly took a seat, Fu asked them, "Tell me, please. What do you know of the Miraculous?"

Tom and Sabine looked at each other. "Not a whole lot," Tom volunteered. "They're some kind of magical gizmo that gives people superpowers. Ladybug has one, and Chat Noir, and Hawkmoth has one. Hawkmoth's can make more villains by sending out Akumas, and that's why we all have to duck and cover about once a week."

"Close enough," Fu smiled. "You are correct on the basics. The Miraculous are a set of nineteen ancient artifacts, each channeling the spirit of a powerful conceptual entity known as a Kwami. To be one's host is to wield tremendous power, and tremendous responsibility. When used for good, as Ladybug and Chat Noir have, they can protect millions of people from harm. When used for evil..."

"You get Hawkmoth," Sabine finished, to which Fu nodded. "And there are others, right?" she continued. "Like, the Bourgeois brat has one, for some weird reason. And there are the turtle boy and the fox girl, sometimes."

"Those were temporary gifts, given out by Ladybug when she was in need of assistance, facing a foe that she and Chat could not defeat alone."

A light of recognition went off in Tom's eyes. "Wait a minute..." he interjected, enthusiastically. "Are you telling us... that Ladybug gave _Marinette_ a Miraculous?"

Rather than responding... Fu simply smiled, and turned to Marinette, who sat up with some visible effort.

"No, Dad. She didn't," Marinette said... preparing herself. "Because I'd had one all along."

Her father looked confused. Her mother did some mental calculations, and her face lit up with a loud gasp...

"Mom, Dad... _I_ am Ladybug. I have been since the very beginning of all this," admitted Marinette.

* * *

"You have _got to be kidding me,_ " Sabine nearly shouted.

"It's true," smiled Marinette, weakly. "I am _so sorry_ that I couldn't tell you before now... but it was the most closely guarded secret in all of Paris."

"For anyone to know... risked the secret leaking out to others, and eventually to Hawkmoth. Which would have put the two of you and everyone else you know in deadly danger," Fu ventured. "Marinette was under strict orders to guard her identity, even from you, for that reason."

"Are you telling me," growled Tom, still processing all of this, "that you gave her the Ladybug? You _put_ _my daughter_ out there in the middle of all that deadly danger?"

"He gave it to me..." Marinette piped up, desperately, "but he didn't _make_ me do anything. It was months later before I even met him in person."

"How can that... _what?_ " boggled Sabine.

"On an ordinary day... I discovered that the Moth Miraculous had fallen into misguided hands, and went out in search of someone with the right spirit to be Paris's champion. What was needed was not physical strength, nor technological wonders, nor encyclopedic knowledge... but strength of will and a good heart. And by chance, I came across your daughter, who saved this old man from being run down in the street without hesitation. Whose first thought was of my well-being, despite her own distress and lateness for class. Who stood out from the very first moment as being an amazing and compassionate person," explained Fu. "So, soon after, thanks to a little magic... she found a little box in her bedroom."

"I was scared out of my wits at first," said Marinette. "I even tried to give it to someone else... but I found myself wanting to help, even if I didn't think I was the right person for the job. I _could_ do it... so I _needed_ to. And, believe me, the costume is _very_ protective! It's very hard for me to get hurt at all while I'm in it."

Sabine frowned. "But you're so weak _now!_ What happened to you?"

"What Hawkmoth wanted the Ladybug and Cat for... was that when brought together, they are capable of rewriting reality itself. Literally casting a wish, so to speak, and having it come true... but with terrible side effects, if not managed properly. With harsh side effects even if they _are,"_ Fu described. "Your daughter and Hawkmoth discovered each other's secret identities at the same time. Rather than punching his lights out once she knew the whole truth... that Hawkmoth sought to restore his wife, who had been injured in a Miraculous-related accident... she did her best to help him. And in doing so, knowing the incredible risk she was taking, and what the cost to herself might be... she saved all of us from future threat."

Fu saw their alarm rising and tried to quell it, as best he could. "Right now, Marinette is severely weakened... but it is only temporary," he blurted out. "She needs rest and recuperation time. A certain young man, with the aid of the Moth used for _good_ instead of evil... will also be able to help her recover quickly."

Marinette looked at him with some confusion... then smiled broadly. "I see where you're going with that, Master, and I won't complain," she grinned.

"You mean Adrien?" Sabine asked. "Is he involved in all of this, too?"

Marinette took a deep breath. "He is. He's my partner," she said. "But I didn't know that until Thursday night."

"You didn't?"

Tom and Sabine looked back at Fu. "I gave Adrien Agreste the Cat on the same day I gave Marinette the Ladybug," Fu smiled. "Even then, I looked at the two of them once I saw them together, and felt that they were made for each other. I did not realize how literally true that would become. Marinette fell for Adrien... who fell for Ladybug. The two performed an intricate dance all year, neither knowing the other's secret, until _after_ they had finally found each other as themselves and fallen in love."

"So we had dinner with Ladybug and Chat Noir Tuesday night," Tom marveled. "I knew I liked that boy."

"You _have_ to keep our secrets, though. No one else can know. Not your friends, not Nana... nobody!" begged Marinette. "It's _still_ very important."

"We will! I'm still not sure that I quite believe it myself," Sabine remarked. "So you... _tried_ casting this... Wish?"

"I can explain more of why... later," evaded Marinette. "But not only did doing that help protect the two of you... and so many others... it meant quite a bit to Adrien, as well."

Tom furrowed his brow. "We _will_ talk about this," he noted. "I mean, I am _so proud of you_... but the idea of my daughter out there being batted around by supervillains, putting her own life at risk...!"

Helplessly, Marinette closed her eyes. "I didn't want the two of you to worry, and like I said, I just _couldn't_ tell you anyway. And before what happened tonight... which was the one time that I was _really_ putting myself at risk..."

She gulped audibly. "I wrote a letter and tucked it under my pillow. Just... in case something happened. And I want to read it to you right now, because I remember every word that I wrote."

* * *

Forcing her eyes open, so as to see the emotions on the faces of her parents, she began...

"Dear Mom and Dad...

If you are reading this right now... something has happened, something that might break your hearts. And I am very sorry about that,

and I would do anything in my power to prevent it. This is _not_ a suicide note, this is _not_ me running away from home or anything

like that! I want very, very much to return home tonight and tear this letter into pieces and pretend that I never had to write it.

But, tonight... I really do. Because there's something that I have to do, something dangerous, and I'm the only one who can help.

It means life-or-death for someone. Someone close to someone I love... but even if it was someone random, I couldn't live with myself

knowing that I could make a difference for them and I didn't, because I was scared, or I was too focused on myself.

If you see on the news that something has happened to Ladybug... go to her, wherever they say that she is. I'll be waiting for you there.

I trust that you can figure out just what I mean by that.

I don't know what is going to happen tonight. But I do know this... I love both of you with all my heart. I want you to know that the

strength I'm finding within myself, the love guiding me to do what I'll be doing... I learned every bit of it from my two wonderful parents.

And I want very much to come home tonight and hug you both and tell you that.

With love always... Marinette."

* * *

Fu allowed the Dupain-Chengs to ride out the emotional storm. It took several minutes before any of them were ready for anything else.

 _I think she's handling this just right,_ he thought. _But I wouldn't expect any less from her. She was terrified of revealing this to them, of how they were going to react... but she made her way through it with the best weapons she has._

 _Her heart... and the truth._

 _She will be a marvelous Guardian, when she is ready to assume the role. Perhaps sooner than she knows, at least temporarily... I haven't had a vacation in ages. I wonder if there are any parts of the world that Wayzz hasn't seen yet?_

He stepped over to the Victrola, summoned up the Miracle Box, and placed the Moth and the Peacock in their respective places.

 _Eighteen out of nineteen where they ought to be,_ he smiled, _for the first time in many generations. And once Nino returns Wayzz to me, the Box will be complete._

 _It is tempting, I must admit, to close the door on this entire chapter... to fill every space and let the Kwamis rest for a few more decades, to let my young heroes retire mostly intact. To sit back and watch them grow together, fall more deeply in love, perhaps have kids some day. I picture three, for some reason. And perhaps a hamster._

 _But I'm looking at her right now,_ he thought as he turned Marinette's way, _and even like this, exhausted, overwhelmed, crying... she is so full of life. Both she and Adrien are._

 _And to hold back the good that they could bring to this world... especially together, as close as they've become..._

 _That would be the true tragedy._

* * *

"So... what happens now?" Sabine managed, drying her eyes. "Are you done with all this, if Hawkmoth is defeated?"

"Well... I can promise you that it will be a whole lot less _dangerous_ from now on," Marinette replied, with a hint of a smile. "All of the Miraculous are now accounted for, so no one should be running around trying to knock the Eiffel Tower over. But there's more to being Ladybug than that. I'm hoping to be my old self again in... how long?"

She looked at Fu, who answered, "About a week? It depends on a few things, but I am encouraged by what I've seen already."

"And if there's one thing that I want to do with all of _this_ and what caused it," she continued, gesturing to her current state, "it's to make something good out of it. To turn this into something positive for the city of Paris and the people I love. And as strange as this is going to sound... I was thinking that _you_ _two_ might be able to help me with that."

"...Us?" Tom wondered. "What is it that you have in mind?"

With a grin on her face, Marinette began...

* * *

~ One week later... ~

* * *

Behind the curtain, Ladybug fretted. "Chat... I'm really not all that good at public speaking," she admitted.

"I beg to differ," Chat Noir smiled back. "I seem to remember a day that you'll be talking about _today_ where you said the most inspiring thing I've ever heard. Something that made a certain kittycat fall in love with you a little bit, right then and there."

"That was different! That was... on the spur of the moment. This is more like a prepared speech," Ladybug insisted. "In front of the whole city!"

A voice behind them spoke up. "After what I've seen from you, young lady... I don't think anything is beyond your capabilities. And I'm nervous, too... but I know that we have to do this."

"I know..." Ladybug told Emilie. "That doesn't make it easier."

"Then why don't we just _do it_ and get it over with?"

With a nod, Chat Noir stepped over to the curtain and prepared to move it aside, far enough for the three of them to pass through. Once Ladybug took a long, deep breath, they did so.

* * *

The cameras lit up as the crowd gathered at the press conference saw Ladybug and Chat Noir step onto the stage. A tall, blonde woman accompanied them...

"Is that..."

"That is! That's Emilie Agreste!"

Gasps were heard from sections of the crowd as recognition sank in, and for once Ladybug noted that not all of the camera flashes were aimed at her and Chat for once.

Once she felt like the initial shock had worn down, Ladybug stepped forward and tapped the microphone. Chat Noir moved forward and stood by her side, fighting the urge to hold her hand in public. _It's not that she doesn't love me just as much like this..._ he smiled, _but if we pretend that we're still just good partners in costume, that'll make it easier to be affectionate in public as ourselves and not worry that we're giving our identities away!_

"Hello, everybody," Ladybug called out. "May I have your attention please? I'd like to begin."

The dull roar settled into a low rumble.

"Ahem! Okay... Ladies, gentlemen, people of Paris... we have gathered you here today for a very special announcement," Ladybug began. "It was a little over a year ago that we first stood before you in these costumes. On that day, I stood before you and made you a promise; no matter who wants to harm you, Ladybug and Chat Noir would do everything in our power to keep you safe. We would confront the evil known as Hawkmoth, and he would be the one giving us _his_ Miraculous. I am here today to announce to all of you... that my promise has been fulfilled."

Over a burst of noise from the audience, Ladybug declared, "Hawkmoth has been defeated. His Miraculous has been recaptured, as has Mayura's, and we are happy to announce that the supervillain threat here in Paris has been ended."

A loud wave of applause and cheers burst out, and Ladybug waited as long as she could before asking for it to die down.

"The identity of Hawkmoth has been revealed... as Gabriel Agreste, the fashion mogul," Chat Noir stated in a flat voice. "His was the face beneath the mask when the Miraculous was recaptured."

"However..." Ladybug jumped in, "we have reason to believe that it is not as straightforward as it may seem. With some help from Mrs. Agreste, standing with us now, we have reconstructed the story of how all of this came about."

Emilie stepped to the microphone, with all eyes upon her. "Two years ago," she began, "my husband and I had heard rumors of the Miraculous, lost long ago in a foreign land. For... personal reasons, we decided to seek them out... and, to our astonishment, we discovered two of them. But their long dormancy and burial under rubble had damaged them, and when we attempted to use them... there was a serious accident. I went into a sort of coma, and did not awaken until last week, when these brave children helped me at great risk to themselves."

"I believe that the Moth Miraculous was compromised as well, as much by Gabriel's emotions as by physical damage," Ladybug declared. "He was overwhelmed with grief and guilt, and the Miraculous responded badly to his mental state and multiplied those. When Gabriel did what he did, he did so with a hidden motive - to revive his wife - and was not thinking with a clear and rational mind much of the time. This does not excuse some of his deeds... but it does help explain how he came to act the way that he did."

Several voices called out to Ladybug, following her statement. The most audible was "Where is Gabriel now? Is he under arrest?"

"We have spoken with local police and with INTERPOL regarding Mr. Agreste's future. There are some complications involving arresting him. For one, as we said, it's hard to tell whether or not he was in his right mind when acting as Hawkmoth. A second question is whether he _was_ Hawkmoth each and every time an Akuma appeared, _"_ Chat Noir explained.

"He had the Moth when we recaptured it... but can we prove that he was controlling it all those other times? That would be for a jury to decide, not us," Ladybug noted. "Thirdly, there is the question of whether Hawkmoth's actions were influenced somewhat by my own powers! If my Miraculous Cure can wipe away the damage caused by an Akuma's rampage... and he was aware of that... is it truly reckless endangerment to cause damage that he knows will be fixed a short time after, without cost, as if it had never happened?"

Emilie interrupted, "Which is, again, for the lawyers to decide. However... I am using this to announce the founding of what we are calling the Agreste Foundation. Part of our holdings will be used to open a center in northern Paris to support those who were affected by Hawkmoth's actions; counseling will be provided for anyone who needs it, free of charge. A museum will be designed commemorating Ladybug and Chat Noir's achievements, which will be open to the public, and anyone who feels the need to file a more monetary claim for damages against Hawkmoth will be able to discuss their case and negotiate terms with our representatives."

"However..." Chat Noir continued, "we have the sad duty to report that Mr. Agreste is somewhat beyond the reach of law enforcement at the moment. In the heat of the confrontation, there was a backlash of energies that caused Ms. Agreste's condition to deteriorate rapidly. In order to save her, he took very drastic steps... and, to put it simply, ended up absorbing her condition. He is currently in what we can only call a magical coma... and is receiving care from a specialist in a private facility. We are not at liberty to disclose where, but we do wish him an eventual full recovery."

"At this time, I will not be taking questions regarding Gabriel's condition or whereabouts," clarified Emilie. "Suffice it to say that his sacrifice on my behalf was... well, I will always be grateful, even as I shudder at what led up to that moment. I hope that if Gabriel does return to us, his clarity of mind will return as well, and he will return to being the man with whom I fell in love."

* * *

The shouting from the press corps redoubled. Ladybug motioned for order, then pointed to Nadja Chamack for a question.

"If Gabriel Agreste is no longer Hawkmoth... are you sure that another, potentially more dangerous Hawkmoth cannot arise?" she asked. "And without a Hawkmoth, will there continue to be a Ladybug and Chat Noir?"

"Actually... I'm glad you asked those questions," smiled Ladybug, "because we have a pleasant surprise for the people of Paris regarding them. Firstly, I will note that you may be seeing _less_ of the two of us in the near future... frankly, we could use some time off to concentrate on a lot of other things and recuperate! But what we do is not just battling Akumas... we like to help out Parisians however we can, whether it's assisting the police or fire department with difficult rescues, trying to prevent accidents when we're in the right place at the right time, trying to provide a good example for the children of Paris..."

"...and, so, I can definitely say that my Lady and I will be around for as long as we're welcomed here. And judging from the support we've received from all the wonderful citizens out there, that will be for a very long time," Chat grinned.

"As for the Moth Miraculous... we have taken it to an outside source whom we trust completely, and he has certified that it is in good working order and free of whatever negative aura surrounded it," Ladybug declared. "The Peacock... is in a state requiring further repair. That, you will not see again for a long time, if ever."

"The remaining Miraculous are in a safe place, one that we do not anticipate being found or disturbed," Chat added. "And Ladybug and I are not the only ones qualified to operate them... so from time to time, you may see our fellow heroes taking their turn helping our fine city. Queen Bee, Carapace and Rena Rouge are happy to remain on duty... and there's a strong chance that you will see some new faces with their own Miraculous, as well. I hope that you will make them feel as welcome as we feel."

* * *

As if on cue, halfway across the city, a group of thieves busied themselves breaking into a jewelry store.

"Are you _sure_ this is a good idea? It's freakin' _daylight!_ " worried one ski-masked thief.

"Sure, sure! Ladybug and Chat Noir are giving their press conference right now. Every cop in the city is focused on what they're saying," another yelled. "Nobody's gonna be looking this way until we're long gone!"

The group smashed glass cases with wild abandon, hurling diamond rings and gold pendants and whatnot into bags...

"Uh, I got a question," one of them blurted suddenly.

 _"What?"_

"That ain't a cop. That ain't Chat Noir. And that _sure_ ain't Ladybug," he pointed. "So who the heck is THAT?"

A huge shadow stood at the front door, stepping into the room and striking a defiant pose. His costume was brown and silver-gray, a domino mask covered his eyes, and a cape flapped proudly behind him. His great size made it look like someone had made a giant hero costume and poured two or three superheroes into it, despite having the correct number of heads and limbs for single occupancy.

"I don't care who it is. Get him!" yelled the leader.

No one dared to move.

"Okay, _fine. I'll_ do it," he growled, gesturing subtly towards a thief in a far corner, who nodded. "All right, big fella," the leader sneered, standing face to face (or, rather, face to midriff) with the oversized caped crusader. "Are you gonna turn around and walk outta here, or do I hafta make an _example_ outta ya?"

The hero stood motionless, but allowed himself a slight smile.

"Just so you know..." the leader continued, leaning in a bit. "there's five of us. There's one of you. So no matter how big you are, you're going..."

*CRACK!*

From behind the hero, a thief swung a two-by-four like a baseball bat, smashing it over the hero's head!

"...down?"

The leader's smirk faded as he watched the two-by-four break in half... and the hero glance nonchalantly back at the thief who'd swung it, then back at the leader, completely unfazed.

"..." said the leader.

"..." said the hero...

...but his small smile turned into an ear-to-ear grin as he cracked his knuckles.

Neighbors reported that the sounds of breaking glass and armed robbery ended right about then... replaced by the sounds of flying bodies, muscular grunts and grown men begging for mercy.

And so began the legend of the Silverback...

* * *

"Our main surprise," Ladybug smiled, "is that we intend to share the wealth, so to speak. Every one of you has a hero hidden away deep inside... waiting for a chance to prove it. And with what we're calling Project: Swallowtail, many of you will get your chance when you're in a position to help. Chat, will you help us demonstrate?"

"Gladly, my Lady. May I please have a volunteer from the audience?" He watched some hands go up in the front row, and selected Roger Raincomprix, the police officer. "Greetings, Officer Roger. You have had no prior discussions with us about what's about to happen, correct?"

"That's, er, correct. What is this, some kind of magic trick?" asked Roger.

"You... might say that," smirked Chat, enjoying himself a little too much. "Now, over here, you will notice this table we've set up, with this nice green tablecloth on it, right?"

"Right," confirmed Roger.

"Okay. You stand right here, and I'm going to do something..." Deliberately, Chat walked over to the table, struck a match that was lying on top of it, and set the tablecloth on fire.

"This is why we don't let him into fancy restaurants," Ladybug quipped, getting a laugh from the audience.

Chat returned to Roger's side, a few meters away, with Roger's face full of confusion. "Now, I would guess that you would like to see that fire extinguished, right?" ventured Chat.

"Well, of course! Before it has a chance to get any bigger and spread."

"But, shucks! We just happen to be _fresh out_ of fire extinguishers today. Ladybug, can you magic one up with your Lucky Charm?" called Chat.

"I'm afraid not," Ladybug replied, giving Chat a look that screamed out _Oh, you ham._ "Lucky Charm's out of service today for some reason. I sure wish we had another hero here to help..."

Someone from the audience called, "Look!" and pointed upwards. Eyes and heads followed a white butterfly descending from the rafters, fluttering its way towards Roger.

"Don't be afraid, Officer Roger. I _promise_ that it won't bite," said Chat.

The butterfly made contact, and a soft voice was audible to those nearby:

 _Greetings, Officer Raincomprix. I am called Swallowtail. Would you accept a small gift of temporary power, in order to help us fight this fire?_ it said.

"Uh... yes! Yes, I would!" he exclaimed, watching the fire grow rapidly, threatening to reach the stage floor soon...

A cocoon of dazzling light closed around him, and when it faded a moment later, Roger reappeared in a highly different state. His skin was a blue color, his clothes had been replaced by a blue-and-silver costume, and his right hand had been replaced by what looked like the end of a fire hose.

"Extinguisher... care to do the honors?" smiled Ladybug.

He marveled at his altered state, then shrugged and pointed his arm at the fire. A large jet of water shot forth, knocking the table over and dousing the fire in seconds.

 _Excellent!_ the voice said. _If the emergency is over, and it looks like this one is... simply say "Power release."_

"Power Release?" wondered the transformed Roger... and in a white flash, he was himself again. A round of polite applause filled the auditorium, as Roger checked himself all over and verified that he did, in fact, have a right hand again.

"We can't be everywhere at once... so be smart in the face of disasters and accidents," Chat declared. "Like, don't get too close hoping that you'll get picked to be a hero, because you'll look awfully silly - or get hurt - if you're not, or if we don't know about what's happening yet! But if you're in a situation where a superhero would be a big help, and you find yourself wishing that it could be you..."

"...be ready, because it just might be," finished Ladybug, with a big grin of her own. "Can we take some further questions from the audience?"

As the press corps peppered the heroes and Emilie with further questions, in a small room one floor up in the building, two other people watched the ongoing event on television.

"She's doing a great job up there, isn't she?" smiled Sabine. "She's a natural at this."

"She certainly is... _Swallowtail_ ," Tom chuckled. "I guess we'd better get used to playing the news on TV or radio in the bakery, though!"

* * *

Once the conference had ended and the crowd had left, the trio compared notes backstage.

"Feel better?" Chat asked both of them.

"A little," Ladybug confirmed. "I wasn't sure how people were going to react to some of it. And I didn't like lying to them..."

"I really don't think that you did, honey," Chat replied. "Did you frame the facts in a way that made Gabriel seem like less of a terrorist? Yeah. But he _was_ overwhelmed with grief and guilt. He _wasn't_ rational. The legal questions we raised really _would_ come up at an eventual trial. He did do what he did... for us. At least in part."

"And he did pay a severe price," Emilie echoed, putting her arm around her son's shoulders. "The 'private facility' is deep below our house, and the specialist wears Hawaiian shirts..."

"The only part that could be called fudging it was the Moth being corrupted and influencing his mindset. And Nooroo is so happy to be free and properly used again that I really don't think he minds a tiny slander," smiled Chat. "And even that wasn't all wrong. Having that power at his fingertips did change Father's behavior."

"Speaking of which... we have Lifeline sessions scheduled today, right?" asked Marinette. "Emilie's when you get home from this, and mine tonight."

"You know it!" Chat replied, enthusiastically. "Every time we do it, both of you look closer to not needing them any more."

"I _feel_ healthy again," Emilie smiled. "And I have both of you to thank for that. And I will be thanking both of you for the rest of my life."

"Is your... passenger behaving?" asked Marinette, gently.

"Oh, yes," confirmed Emilie. "I'm still very much getting used to... how things are now... but with Gabriel's guidance, I feel like Nathalie and I are capable of guiding the fashion house until a suitable new CEO can be found. Watch this..."

Emilie scrunched up her face and imitated Gabriel's voice. "Get me the Alinsky contract. We need five hundred units of the featured couture line in stores _yesterday_. No, not that one, the A-Lines that Francois modified. Do I have to do _everything myself?_ "

She shrugged with a smile. "With Gabriel feeding me the right lines, and Nathalie's assistance - so far, she really has been a big help to me - it's as though he never left. Some employees are looking at me as if I've been possessed." After a moment, her smile softened somewhat. "No, I'm _not_ possessed. I _possess_ a good man who lost his way, and who's finding it again," she told her mental stowaway.

Chat Noir hugged her... and for the first time in a long time, felt like the first stirrings of an actual family were in his life again. _Maybe it's the most twisted family ever conceived,_ he marveled... _a disembodied supervillain, the wife he'd accidentally sent to everlasting sleep and the son who'd fought tooth-and-nail against him..._

 _...but it's mine._

* * *

A few hours later, the back doorbell rang at the Dupain-Cheng household. Marinette dashed to the door, but was beaten there by her mother.

"Hello, Adrien," Sabine greeted him warmly. "Time for another session?"

"Yes, ma'am," Adrien replied, his standard politeness kicking in. He closed the door behind him and accepted a hug of greeting from his girlfriend.

"How did your grief counseling session go today?" asked Marinette. "Same as before?"

"Yeah, it's... interesting," said Adrien. "It's kind of tricky to talk about what happened with Father, when I can't talk about what _actually_ happened with Father. It's kind of challenging just keeping my story straight at times! But I think it's doing me a lot of good, too. I'm managing to bring up feelings and struggles that I couldn't when Father was... active... and start addressing them, instead of bottling them up."

"You can _always_ talk to me, you know," purred Marinette. "Either about those things _or_ the things that your psychologist can't know about."

"And I plan to, believe me," Adrien answered, with his eyes shining. "You are so important to me, Marinette."

Sabine enjoyed the aura of young love sweeping through the room. "It's Tom's turn to play dispatcher. He's got the brooch right now, so if you want to go find him..." she noted.

"I'll text him and tell him that we're ready. C'mon!" she gestured to Adrien, as she headed for the stairs leading up to her room.

Once they arrived there, it was only a moment later that a white butterfly came fluttering up those same stairs. It connected smoothly with Adrien, as usual.

 _Lifeline,_ the voice said, _are you ready to accept my power and continue healing my daughter?_

"Of course I am," Adrien said, happily.

 _And just remember... her father can see through your eyes while you're transformed. So watch where those healing hands go, hmmm?_

 _"Daaaaaaad!"_ groaned Marinette, thoroughly embarrassed. "Don't tease him like that!"

"I'll be careful," confirmed Adrien, as he transformed...

* * *

"Mmmmm," Marinette giggled. "Are you sure you can't just keep doing that even after I'm at 100%? It feels heavenly."

"It's just energy rays, and I'm not even touching you, physically," Lifeline smiled. "Doesn't every boyfriend do this?"

"I'll have to ask Alya. I don't think Nino comes equipped with those," she grinned.

"For now, though... you really do look like you're completely healed! I'll have to check now and then just to make sure, of course... but I think that's enough for tonight. Power Release!"

In a white flash, he turned back to Adrien, only to be tackled by the young woman to whom he'd just been tending.

"Gotcha!" she giggled. "Dad's not watching _now!"_

A couple of kisses later, Marinette flopped back onto her bed, glowing with happiness. "I do feel so much better now... thank you for that," she confirmed. "I was getting so tired this week of going to school with a crutch and a wrist brace as my cover story..."

"Let's be honest. Do you think 'Marinette fell down the stairs, and she had some minor injuries and a mild concussion' surprised most of them? You _are_ notoriously clumsy, you know..."

That got him thwacked by a pillow.

"I guess not," Marinette sulked, feigning bruised dignity. "But it fit the bill for a reason why I'd be lightheaded and on wobbly legs for a little while, and it got me out of phys-ed for a week. I didn't think they'd believe 'Oh, I gave part of my life force to Adrien's mom.'"

"Probably not. Though, who hasn't done something like that from time to time?"

They both laughed, but then Adrien leaned in close, looking serious. "You _do_ know how much everything you've done means to me, right?" he whispered. "How absolutely wonderful you are. How helpless I would've been without my Marinette and my Ladybug in my life when all of this started, or any time since."

"That's why I did what I did, silly," she smiled back, nearly glowing. "Now, before my father comes up to check on us with his _own_ eyes..."

* * *

The happy couple trotted downstairs. "What did you have in mind for tonight?" asked Adrien, as they entered the family room.

"Oh... a little something I've been meaning to do for a while now," Marinette grinned. "Sit back on the couch. This'll just take me a second."

She fiddled with the DVD player, then smiled triumphantly as the movie began... and Adrien recognized the opening credits to the Marx Brothers' _A Night at the Opera_.

"Ah-ha!" he grinned. "Picking up our Movie Nights where we left off?"

"Well, without the huge thunderstorm this time, I hope," said Marinette. _"Not_ that I'm complaining about how that ended up."

" _And_ without your costume this time. Not that I'm complaining about _that_..." Adrien parried, "because you are beautiful both ways."

"You say the sweetest things," Marinette beamed, leaning against him.

"You _are_ the sweetest thing," said Adrien.

A few minutes into the movie, Tom and Sabine ducked their heads into the room. "Do you mind if we join you for a while? I love this movie," Tom asked.

"Sure! We're being good," giggled Marinette.

"Of course you are," Sabine grinned.

Adrien didn't complain. As her parents joined them in laughter, as his snuggly girlfriend giggled her way through watching fifteen people crowd their way into Groucho's tiny ship's cabin, as the pieces of his life's puzzle slid cleanly into place for once... a sense of wonder came over him, and of peace.

 _Some things in life pass by in but a matter of seconds. Words are spoken, emotions are expressed, actions are taken or not taken,_ he thought. _I came this close to losing Marinette that night. To losing my mother for real, forever. To everything important in my life crumbling into little pieces all at once._

 _Or to losing myself in despair when this whole thing started. When my father was breaking me, my friends felt like they were turning on me, and I had no idea at all where I could turn for help._

 _But thanks to you, my love..._

He glanced down at Marinette, who felt the movement and looked up into his eyes, gave him a silent smile, then laid her head against his shoulder and melted onto him once more.

 _I felt like I was losing my place in the world. My home. And now I have two..._

 _...the one you've given me, with my mother alive and well again..._

 _...and wherever you are._

* * *

~fin~

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES! AS USUAL! PREPARE FOR OLD MAN RAMBLING!

Greetings to all of my readers, old and new. This has been my longest story yet - likely to be my longest ever - so my thanks to all of you joining me here at the finish line. As I always say, I write these stories because people enjoy them, and to be a reader is as much of a commitment as being the author is. To get to this point required a lot of time and dedication, gifts on your part, and I respect and appreciate that greatly and maintain my own commitment to never leave a story unfinished. It may take me a while sometimes, but I would rather take the time and get it right than throw out something rushed just to say that it's done.

To begin with, my most sincere thank-yous once again to buggachat on Tumblr, whose artwork inspired the story's conception and several scenes therein, and kindly granted me permission to adapt her "The Ladrien I always wanted..." comic into written form. She didn't have to grant that, and I do hope that she likes where I ended up taking her idea! The writing in the story has been mine throughout, but it would not exist without her contributions, so credit where credit is most assuredly due.

Another thank you goes out to f-imaginings on AO3 and Tumblr, who sent me a wonderful piece of fan-art depicting Our Heroes' first Movie Night. I _adore_ fan art and count it as the highest compliment imaginable, and am very grateful for every bit of it I receive.

This was my longest story yet, wordier than any two of my other stories combined; very likely my longest story ever, as I don't know that I have it in me to go to this length again. In some ways, it's more like five connected stories rolled into one; there were definitely 'arcs' of several chapters each. I wrote and posted several other stories while this one was in progress, and I suspect that I will be focusing on shorter stories and shorter chapters (this is where most of you sigh in relief) going forward. But who knows? Good ideas leap out when least expected.

There was a point around the middle of the story (like, chapters 8 - 10ish) where I got definite pushback from many readers, who felt like the plotline was going off the rails somewhat. Now that I'm looking back at that, I can say a couple of things... one of which is that the 'things are going out of control' feeling was _very much deliberate_ on my part. Marinette was being swept up in being romanced in both her identities. Adrien was overwhelmed by the affection and comfort he received from both of them, and clung to both as his lifelines. Each of them was hell-bent on giving the other what THEY wanted... not realizing that what the other wanted was to give them what THEY wanted, and none of them knew for sure what that was! If Marinette seemed like she was acting a bit irrationally and not thinking things through around that part of the story... that's absolutely accurate, and I do not find it out-of-place for a fourteen-year-old girl to be capable of being swept up in an emotional tidal wave and having to force herself to pull back and assess things. Yes, even Marinette. As for Tikki... she was watching things explode at a rapid pace and just trying to keep up. As we can see, things stabilized somewhat soon after.

But my other major point about that sequence is this; _by all means, if you're doubtful about what you read,_ _tell me!_ I am a seat-of-the-pants writer rather than a full-on planner, and I do one chapter at a time. I know where chapters are headed... but feedback from my wonderful readers often gives me ideas for new scenes, inspires me to ramble on and discuss them in the Comments section on AO3 or in PMs on FFN, and helps me make sure that _I_ am headed where I want to take these characters. I will never get angry at anyone who cares enough about what I write to tell me what they think about it. Count on that. My readers give me meaningful and thoughtful comments, not "ur a boogerhed!", and every comment or review or constructive criticism is welcome.

(As for my Guest on FFN who was so visibly displeased... register an account sometime, please! FFN makes it very difficult to engage with someone who chooses to remain anonymous. I hate seeing intelligent commentary to which I can't respond well.)

I am not anticipating a sequel to this story; I think it's gone about as far as I can imagine it going. "Never" is, of course, a word I do not like to use... but I think I'd rather explore these characters from yet another angle than disturb the endpoint that we've reached here.

I hadn't used Nino very much in my stories, so it was nice to give him something of a stronger supporting role here. He is definitely more than just Alya's Boyfriend.

As far as Gabriel goes... I did not want to go total "Redemption by Death" for him, so I wrestled with my endgame for quite some time (which is a part of why it took so long for me to write!) The central points - Gabriel wanting to exploit Adrien's emotions, the using-Marinette-or-Ladybug-as-a-pawn angle for the ritual, the neither-the-Wish-nor-the-Moth-can-fix-this-alone relationship, the conflicted emotions on Gabriel's part, the inevitable backstab - were all planned out long ago, but the devil is in the finer details. I feel like I struck a good balance. Gabriel's priority one was and remained bringing Emilie back... but the emotional bond between Adrien and Marinette proved to be both the enabler of his scheme and its downfall. His goal was both sympathetic in Ladybug's eyes and repugnant in its execution. Ladybug was both a hated foe to Gabriel and, as it turned out, a remarkable person whose assumption of risk touched him greatly. I would have liked to have had more interplay between Gabriel and Marinette after they learned each other's identities... but events were spiraling fast enough that I did not see room for much more of that.

Nathalie is... complicated. She is not forgiven per se, but is being given an opportunity to try to win something of a life back for herself through deeds, not words. Time would tell whether she would succeed in that.

Emilie has every reason to be grateful to Our Heroes... and she is. Is she truly as endearing as she seems to be, though? Would Gabriel be a bad influence upon her? Might he figure out how to control her after all, and decide to try to influence things to get his body back? Is further intrigue possible? Well... maybe. If a sequel ever did emerge, that is what it would spawn from. But, again... not now, not soon. Too much in this story to digest first.

Anyway... enough babbling. I have a life to try to get back to, or so I claim, at least. ;)

Bless all of you for hearing me out and (hopefully!) enjoying my writing. If you haven't done it yet, check out the other stories on my profile; The Marinette Project and Tyger, Tyger, Burning Bright are my two evergreen recommendations, but there's something in my list of stories for just about anyone.

And watch more Marx Brothers movies. They're fantastic.

\- DFC


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